I've worked in the T tunnels as an engineer during many of those shutdowns mentioned in the video. It's honestly incredible being down there, almost like walking through a time capsule. You can see the difference in construction practices between the decades as you pass through different parts of the tunnels, but what you said in the video about willpower is most apparent. These pioneers of the American subway system just wanted a better way to get around than the busy and filthy surface level streets of the time. We need to attack this problem with the same willpower of the past. Thank you for bringing attention to this issue.
With the Americans' love of cars, it is unlikely that a functioning and inexpensive public transportation system will be established. But cars are another matter. Today, the average EV costs $47,000. That's too expensive for 80% of people. What will they drive instead? Scooters? Bicycles? Welcome to the future!
The point about willpower is very important. People want change, but there is little appetite to tolerate the period of disruption that it requires. I get it, but nothing will ever get done otherwise. Obviously, we don't want another Big Dig level of going over-budget and nearly a decade beyond expected completion, but a massive modernization of the MBTA would take time, money, and a hell of a lot of patience. I'd imagine any governor overseeing the bulk of it will probably get reamed, and they likely don't want to be the ones overseeing it, either (people's needs be damned).
Maybe the solution is to hire the engineers of the Peoples Republic of Chiina to upgrade our system. They could do so in a fraction of the time we could and on a much smaller buidget.
As a Boston area lifelong resident, thanks for highlighting this! One point you didn't touch on that I was hoping you'd discuss was the debt the MBTA was forced to take on from the Big Dig.
Much of this debt is from projects that improved transit as an agreement from the Big Dig. Yes, they are from the Big Dig, but the debt is exclusively from MBTA related projects. This includes projects such as the new GLX.
@@michaelpare5997crazy thing is isn’t that like one of the ONLY original mitigation projects to finally get completed other than the old colony commuter lines? I know Arborway was laughed off. Red/Blue and blue to Lynn kicked down the hall, north/south rail was also ignored. I’m actually shocked GLX ever got completed. Can’t wait to come back home and hopefully see it running
It may not have been mentioned directly but he did point out 20% of the annual expense was due to debt. The specifics would probably require its own video.
I was a NYC dockbuilder when they were doing the big dig in Boston. Some of the boys were sent up there to help with the tunneling. They were a bit shocked by the methods used to hang massive cement slabs on the ceiling. Holes were drilled into the roof slab and pins were glued in place. Slabs of precast cement were then hung from the pins. Meaning, the only thing holding these very heavy sections up was glue. This was very different from how it was usually done. The glue was 2 part and had a complex mixing nozzle that combined the glue and hardener as it was dispensed. None of them were sold this method's functionality and they advised anyone who would listen against using the tunnel. Within a couple of years, the slabs began to fall and people lost their lives...
They went with the regular Elmer's, not the heavy duty. Was stuck in that tunnel every day for 9 years and don't think for one second that the ceiling falling hadn't gone through my brain more than once. Epoxy in cement holding a four ton slab, what could go wrong? They ran out of money and never dressed the ceiling correctly. They also installed a railing system on the catwalks in the tunnel that had to be removed after a person on a bike lost and arm from the sharp edge design or they pulled it out before that happened, I can't recall. Plus the tunnel is impossible to clear. It's disgusting.
Yup I remember when that happened. I believe it was an old woman and her kids or something like that. But she was crushed by one of those ceiling panels. Same thing here. I’ve been stuck sitting in those tunnels for more hours of my life than I care to remember. Laughing with the other guys in the truck about when is the next one gonna fall and crush us. I don’t work in the city anymore and I don’t care to ever go back to the city. I’ve lost hours that have added up to days that add up to weeks and months and years of my life sitting on the southeast expressway. Good riddance!
@@timothycormier3494 I wish I still had the special edition magazine that said you would whisk through the city during rush hour in a gleaming tunnel. It was a woman who was crushed , she was in her PJ's , had decided to take the ride into the airport with her husband at the last minute who was picking up a relative or friend flying into Logan late at night . A young woman was killed when a manhole cover was dislodged south bound near the end of the tunnel by a vehicle traveling well over the speed limit ( Of course nobody went the speed limit , it was fast and furious when light traffic was the case) The manhole cover flew through her windshield and took her head off . Two second either side of time and she may have not died. I guess it just wasn't our time. I wonder how much poison we all breathed sitting there?
@@rbspider that’s right! I forgot about the manhole cover. Yeah that was brutal. And yes, I can’t imagine how much break dust and exhaust fumes we’ve inhaled from sitting forever inside of those tunnels. Especially on a hot summer day when that unmistakable stink of the tunnels is at its worst. So humid that it can’t escape because the air is so wet and heavy. Yucko! Remember deciding whether or not to take the expressway or the pike. Because one of them might…possibly…maybe moving…at all. I don’t know how old you are. But if you remember back before the big dig. Before the highway was the way it is now. The southeast expressway was a whole lot worse than it is now. If you can believe that. But even today. Heading home or outbound on the expressway. Ya got the HOV lane dumping out with the RT3 people crossing over the hov people crossing over to get on 95. All in the same spot. It’s a nightmare! 😂😂😂
@@timothycormier3494 I saw Boston when Jordan Marsh would setup Santa's village, back when the Annex had the toys and record department . I sold newspapers at North station when it had the elevated orange line . Later on I worked at the phone company in the Combat zone . That phone company building was used as the HQ for the all girl Ghost Busters movie. On the bright side , brake pads are no longer made with asbestos , but I recall people saying that working in the city was like smoking two packs of cigarettes a day. I ended up with a dashcam and have images of cars traveling horizontal in front of me to cut across lanes. One night there was a roll over inside the north bound side , a child had been ejected and died. I saw cars and motorcycles go through there at over 100 mph . Fridays and Saturdays were the worst at two am. Do not miss it one bit. They also missed the chance to finally connect North and South Stations. 13 billion seems cheap these days . Since 2021 we have spent 450 billion on immigration
Just a quick note from another Bostonian, The MBTA being a useful and reliable means of transit isn't something from our grandparents childhood. It was the 2000's. The T has driven off a cliff over the last 10 years, before that I could on getting all over the place in quick order.
The denser the area and the more business and people concentrate themselves into one big clusterfuck, the worse it's going to get. There are no laws preventing the cluster from happening.
Fun fact! The green line extension, which cost 2 billion $ and is less than 2 years old, had to shut down because the rails were installed too wide and rather than fix it right when they found out about the issue (a year before it opened) , the T decided to ignore the problem for 2 years until trains were being slowed to under 3mph to stop trains from completely going off the tracks
That’s not quite true. It shuts down early at night to fix the rails, not all day as implied. And the 3mph restrictions were only in place for a few days until safety was verified.
@@quadcorelatte8217 no, it was completely shut down for something like 2 weeks this fall. The slowdowns also definitely weren’t 3 days long, every time I take it there’s numerous sections of walking speed slowdowns
This video slid over the ineptitude, sloth and corruption that are hallmarks of this and other big-city systems. The T probably sits at the top of the heap in these departments, and it shows. They enjoy an enabling legislature, an apathetic public and media that's in the pocket of politicians. It should have been totally re-structured in the image of the Japan Rail system, with infrastructure publicly owned and operations provided by for-profit private corporations. Get it out of the political arena and encourage it to run efficiently through competition. To do so will be to bring down one of the largest taxpayer funded job and money schemes in existence, so that idea will never fly. Instead it will collapse, with a pile of dirtbag hacks battling over the spoils.
I lived in Boston in 2017 and did not have, nor could afford to get a car. The MBTA was my only option to get to work from the lower income suburbs I was staying in. My commute took 2 hours one way, which means I was absolutely exhausted by the time I got home, and still had to make lesson plans and cook, etc. I took the Orange, Red, and Green Lines primarily. I was increasingly frustrated by the slowdowns, the closed stations, and the trains that were so packed, I had to wait for a couple to go by before finally being able to fit onto one. Boston has the bones for a more robust transit system. I really hope they figure it out because it could be a game changer for not just low income people like myself, but for everyone.
It used to be way better, and in my experience has been getting better recently. For an entire month my train only arrived on time, and to my destination on time (Red Line)
@@lmnop29 The Green Line was actually getting pretty reliable for a couple weeks just now (until the Orange Line shutdown), I was able to go from the last stop on GLX to Heath Street in an hour on a Wednesday afternoon - same amount of time as driving, and with a fraction of the stress and frustration and 0% risk of damage to my car.
As a former MIT student and Boston resident, this saddens me. I have fond memories of riding the T all over the place, and being able to explore the Boston area without a car (as I was not licensed to drive). The T was one of those things that really made me thankful to be attending college in Boston. I certainly hope these problems can be sorted out. That subway system is a piece of American history, and it can not be allowed to just go away.
@@michaelmann8800He’s not making a dig at you for not having a DL then, but rather more the awful number of unlawful “motorists” here in the present day, just being sarcastic (don’t you miss it?😉)
I lived in eastern Massachusetts from 1982 to 1996. I was a student at Northeastern University, and even after I graduated and moved to the suburbs, I regularly drove to Wellington station when I needed to go downtown. Two years ago, I visited Boston for a conference downtown, and I enjoyed riding the T to visit old familiar places, as well as to shop for items I couldn’t get at home, although I was quite disturbed at the condition of the Orange Line trains. I do not want to see the T fail. I also love using trains to explore other cities I’ve visited, such as Washington, Chicago, San Francisco, Beijing, and others.
“increased physical mobility leads to increased economic mobility.” i love this, and yes it’s so true!! how can people access different rungs of work and society if they literally can’t even get there? thank you for lifting that up.
I was in Boston with no car for two years in grad school. It very much seemed like there were two Bostons, layered on top of each other and yet largely isolated from each other. If you didn’t have a car you lived a certain way and went certain places on a certain schedule. People with cars often couldn’t or wouldn’t be there because there was no parking and/or the timing wasn’t synced with the commuter rail where they might leave their car. Meanwhile people with cars lived a certain way and went certain places on a certain schedule - and without a car you either couldn’t join them at all, or the timing didn’t work with the T’s schedule/reliability. Some employers had a rule that employees had to be let off at the end of the day before the T closed. Others had parking lots. Rarely did anyone have both.
Very true. I lived in North Quincy and worked at a law office on Tremont St., kittycorner across the street from the Park St. station. No parking anywhere near that part of downtown. Unless you pay a HUGE amount to park in a garage - IF you can even find a space. Taking the T was the only viable way to get to work on time anyway since the traffic jams on the Southern Artery and Rt.3/128 are insane in the mornings and evenings. Reliably insane. I totally understand what you mean.
yep i've had people who mostly drive try to ask me, a person who mostly walks/takes the train/bus and it was pretty much impossible for us to communicate
It’s similar with Angelinos that didn’t have cars. They just use ride share apps and the subway, the latter of which lots of people don’t even know LA has
Having rode the MBTA on a regular basis, it does suck. But also it still has a rather large group of wealthy people using it and advocating for it. The D line runs through almost exclusively wealthy neighborhoods, most notably Brookline and Newton. The Red Line runs through some of the wealthiest parts of Cambridge and that's the reason why it's underground there. The MBTA is bad right now, but they're digging themselves out, the slow zones have decreased significantly in the past month with a comprehensive plan, and new rolling stock is arriving on all lines. Although expansions haven't been proposed, there is a large group of people who would advocate for them and our mayor is extremely pro transit and uses it. We just got a new general manager, heralded with fixing the terrible reliability of the Long Island Railroad. So things are looking up, and I hope they'll follow through because I still have hope.
I feel like people are just gonna ignore this but its true. And despite all the bad things you can say about it its still one of the best transit systems in the nation. I live way out in the suburbs and I never take my car farther than Riverside or Alewife, it's very convenient.
Grew up in Boston here. I left and live in NYC now. I have spent too much time over the years advocating for better transit and reliability for the city and region. For the first time, I actually do believe it's finally going in the right direction under new leadership. As much as we love to praise Baker, he horribly misread the situation and managed to worsen the MBTA in his early years. His original concept of privatizing the T, paired with not fundamentally understanding how deeply broken the system was back in 2015 (even if he was aware, he miscalculated just how bad it was), brought years of additional mismanagement, accidents, delays, poor design quality for new trains, and a staggering laundry list of repairs not being made. Wu and Governor Healey definitely gave me hope as they knew this was a huge issue. Both have my vote to this day and since Baker left, suddenly most of the major problems his administration mishandled seem to be finally getting addressed. Its not Baker's fault entirely, he was given a system in terrible repair, but again he only tried to improve it minimally all while his appointees at the MBTA lied to everybody as to just how bad the state of the infrastructure was. Fun fact, there are multiple stations on the orange line alone that have come close to imminently collapsing but the MBTA did not want to disclose that, so they did 'quiet' repairs by shutting the stations down claiming they needed to do minor improvements when in actuality, they were emergency repairs to avoid the absolute worst. And unfortunately, Haymarket station collapse would happen, to which was mostly the T's fault and not the construction happening above... It is a constant story where instead of the system being proactive, it's only trying to avoid the absolute worst case scenario. Trains on fire, derailments and even minor ceiling collapses are almost nothing in comparison to what situations the MBTA was keeping under wraps. I know I wrote a lot here but its years of anger all of us from the area have felt about the T. I hope that the repairs continue to happen, I hope the state releases the 'big dig' debt that was tacked onto the MBTA, I hope the state votes to give additional funding to bring it to a state of good repair + that one day, we can finally get a real proper ring line around the core of Boston and Cambridge. Additional NSRL needs to happen, electrification of the CR (pollution levels of diesel, along with their noise, has caused health defects to residents living near these lines) to improve reliability, speed and higher frequencies. So much that needs to happen and we need to be serious about making those investments for the future.
@@kaicandoit this was amazing to read, darn good comment. I worked on parts of the OL tunnels doing inspection work almost 2 years ago and got to see first hand how inefficient things were run, before the new GM entered the picture
@@duncanmcauley9450 I work in Architecture & CM and have heard insane stories about those tunnels. Had a friend who had to analyze the conditions of Chinatown station a few years back which I'm sure you've heard or seen what the condition of those support beams/columns were like prior to the emergency repair.
Living in the DC area, it's been nice to see what the WMATA has been doing. The setback of the 7000 series a few years ago didn't help, but it's nice that most lines have 6 minute service. When this helps create near 3 minute service in downtown. It will be nice whenever the Purple Line gets finished because the group of Bethesda to Silver Spring to College Park is currently a terrible option. It's probably 45 minutes to go from Silver Spring to Bethesda on the Red Line right now, but that will be only 2 or 3 stops of grade separated running on the Purple Line cutting out a large amount of time. Another subway line is also being planned that would hopefully be a ring going from Rosslyn to Georgetown connecting with Union Station down through National Harbor, across to Alexandria, and back up to Rosslyn. I hope they can get the funding to keep pushing in the right direction.
If only they could extend Branch (green) down closer to me...a hour drive north to get to a train is still not great. (I would have explored more of DC by now if it was easier to get there...never driving in DC ever again...once made Florida drivers look polite)
They need to do a new program at exactly how effective public transportation is throughout the DC region. One could have the ability to catch public transportation from as far away as West Virginia and into the Diamond of DC. It goes equally as far in Maryland and Virginia.
I was a student in Boston (early 2000s) and now live in Paris. Can confirm what was said about the Paris metro network, but we also have a really good bus system that fills in the gaps between the metro stations. I've been here for three years and have NEVER needed a car. The commuter rail goes to the airports, the rail stations service the regional trains, and plenty of delivery services exist if you want someone to bring a couch home for you from Ikea. In addition, bike share is incredibly popular with our plentiful new bike lanes, and taxis are available in a pinch.
to add to this, the (network manager? i don't know the english name, but IDFM) also finances the car pooling system. i stopped physically using the subway/tram/bus lines in favor of car pooling as my commuter pass also pays for the car trip. much faster, more comfortable, but for the same price as public transports.. aka using the already traveling cars for commuting and reducing the load of current public transports. and to avoid abuse, this is only for suburb to suburb or Paris to suburbs, not paris - paris system
@OFFICERJIMMYUTTP I don't get it, what is your grift? To hope that some people who check to see if your videos indeed have been stolen by Wendover to actually click on your unrelated videos?
Living in Boston for 8 years. My previous apartment was right at a green line stop when I was a college student. I always walked to school instead of using subway, simply because walking takes about 15min and the subway takes about 10min plus the unpredictable waiting time... Another reason I avoided taking subway was safety issue - I witnessed several off-rail accidents from my balcony lol. I love Boston for how historical and beautiful it is - except for its public transportation system.
I work at an indie theatre in Boston. Annually, there's a production of a musical about how bad the MBTA is. It follows three people just trying to get home on the train, but the T's management conspires to ruin their commutes home. This is how bad the subway is in Boston.
A script that would really help the people would have it as the governor and state rep trying to ruin the people's commutes, because thats the reality of the control over the subway
Although I am frustrated with the state of the T, I'm glad it exist. I recently moved to Boston from Indianapolis, which has no local rail system, and barely has a bus system. I am unable to drive, so having the rail option was a huge game changer. Although I'm apriciative of the opportunity it's opened for me, it's also highly frustrating. The commute to my first job here was 3 hours due to it being in Weymouth, and me living in Dorchester (still beats walking). I was eventually able to find something closer, but still have a long, hour and a half commute.
yeah, wait until people find out about the part where the State of Indiana outright banned Light Rail Transit from being built in the state (2014), that'll be a fun one too.
3 hours is wild. I understand you're new to the area and it's an improvement from back home. I am from Weymouth and I hate the T because of how long it takes to get to Boston compared to a 20 minute drive
I'm from Weymouth and have no clue what u and the other guy from Weymouth in this thread are talking about. I havent lived there in a few years but when I did I would just get on the redline in Braintree and I'd be in Boston within 30 minutes. The other dude says he'd rather take the 20 minute drive but it's only a 20 minute drive at like absurd hours. Basically from 4am till 1am it's at least an hour drive with the traffic
I live in Southcoast Massachusetts and the only reason I make the drive to Braintree to take the T is because driving into Boston is a nightmare. I have a commuter rail station very close to me but its schedule usually doesn't line up for when i'd need to take it. Generally, I just try to avoid going to Boston.
As a Boston-area resident, no it's not. Go into most major city in the US and look at the underside of your typical highway overpass. Chances are you'll see one heck of a lot of rust.
this is the result of big government. what wendover didn't discuss is how the politicians then use these struggles as political weapons against their opponents come election year. this creates a perverse incentive to not actually solve the problems because if you can't blame the other guy for something, you have a lower chance of being elected.
He said to him "'You shall love the Lord your god with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it : 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'
I live in Boston on the orange line, and they replaced all the old trains with new cars, the most modern and comfortable in Boston now. But they are going so slow in some places that you can outwalk the train. It’s insane! Appreciate a lot for covering the entire video to the problem of our city. Hope some politicians will watch this too.
Same here i hadnt used public transportation in a while but had 2 use the orange line 2 weeks ago for Jury duty. I was surprised the orange lane had all their cars updated but my god some of the stops the train literally went like A TURTLE, i had no idea this was a common occurrence....
As a child I grew up in Boston and know the subway system like the back of my hand. Before the current orange line position it was elevated. It was ugly but seemed to be far more reliable at 75 years old than the current branch which is only 36 yrs old.
does the new orange like still have that dumb fabric "anti-grafitti" seats? I remember when those first started appearing and people worrying about wet spots being unseen. At least with NYC trains, you can se the puddle of water/soda/urine on the seat before sitting on it.
I took the Boston subway once after a red Sox game. I didn't know you could fit that many people on a subway. You were on a molecular level of closeness with people
Depending on what time and which season you're in as well as which line you're riding, you can definitely find out how it feels to be "packed like sardines in a can" 🤣 Everyone knows that going out of Boston on the Red Line, once you get past Downtown Crossing and South Station going southbound, you can claim a seat somewhere on the car. Likewise happens after Copley / Prudential on the Green Line going outbound, and most definitely an empty car after North Station. Same thing happens at Haymarket stop on the Orange Line as well as around Ruggles station. Sometimes... its just faster walking from Ruggles over to Longwood Medical Center 😐
I guess you've never seen the New York subway at rush hour! (Been there, done that -- if the passengers in the Boston subway are "on a molecular level of closeness", then the Flushing line (7 train) in New York at morning rush hour can only be described as having a neutron-star level of density!)
15:54 important thing to note. People make such a big deal about "revenue shortfalls" for operating a transit system. yet roads by and large make approximately.... 0% of their costs both construction and operating. yet no one says we shouldn't build more roads, increase funding for it or can't find the funding for repairs
No. While I agree with your sentiment, roads do pay for themselves multiple times over. This is because they allow for the economy to function, allowing for the transport of goods and people, which will both make money. That money will go toward taxes, which will go toward the roads.
Who do you think rides the subway, parrots? Public transit is also far less detrimental to the environment and reduces pollution (and this, the burden on the healthcare system and also each individual's contribution to climate change) in urban centers. Just because they aren't also used for cargo doesn't mean they don't save money, genius.
Private cars need to be abandoned unless you want climate change to kill a significant fraction of the planet's population or cause a significant influx of immigrants who are trying to escape starvation.
Calling Boston "almost european" is both the greatest insult and the greatest compliment you can give a city in the US on it's transportation network and city design - it's the recipient who chooses...
Almost European is somewhat accurate, but boston is very much more American car centricism than anything else. More European is only a positive saying. What on earth is there to be proud of from the usa that isn't thanks to Europe? Lmao
@churblefurbles Europe has black people, and had had black people for a long time, and a larger population than that at that time period. Today around 18% of France is black. Places being completely white are soley an American thing. Race was never even a thing of discussion in Europe, class and ethnicity played a much larger role, meaning there was never an attempt to stop certain races from being apart of the culture. Don't get me wrong there's plenty of supremacy, but it's not race focused, well at least it wasn't for most. The 3d Reich was unique for its ridiculously irregular way of viewing society, blaming issues on race.
Bostonian transit advocate here: This video is generally very good. The one bone I have to pick with the narrative painted is the idea that that, "line shutdowns don't help slow zones." The reason there have been more slow zones despite the line shutdowns to fix slow zones is that the MBTA *didn't know* where these slow zones were before. Ever since the derailments & the initial "panic slow zones" the MBTA has been running the geometry car (as Phill Eng calls it) far more often to analyze the tracks and find the deficiencies. Because of this, even though the MBTA is repairing track far faster than they have in recent past, more slow zones are cropping up because we're actually paying attention now. Barring that I appreciate the dive into our transit issues, which direly need to be fixed for Boston to continue to be a good city into the future.
I am in full agreement with this as well. It feels this way because we, advocates, and them, the T, are paying more attention than ever before to the detail. I also think that with ridership, it's not a fair analysis since a lot of potential ridership was not there being counted resulting from shutdowns and shuttle service replacement. I am more hopeful for our system even with all of these troubles.
My other issue with the video was when he criticized the T for only making back 45% of its costs, deeming it not profitable. Conversely, highways and other car infrastructure are far from profitable as well because there is tons of maintenance that goes into them.
Exactly, that was the problem; the previous long-term head of the MBTA had basically been just not allowing workers enough time to properly check all of the track, so a lot of damage wasn’t even recorded
In 5 years should they have been able to lay 7 miles of track from quincy to south station? Just wondering if youre accepting of regression or just unaware of it.
@@GeneralLiuofBoston1911Its 22 minutes between mostly empty red line trains on the middle of the day. The numbers dont lie, unless youre on the green and arent noticing because of the economic disparity within the mbta, and not just the commuter rail.
I was born and raised in Boston and have lived in Abington for the past 3 years and let me tell you, there is a major difference between taking the commuter rail when compared to the subway. its way more reliable, on time and comfortable. The sucky part is when they do the shuttle busses on weekends from Braintree to South station. I still work on weekends but during the week, it's practically golden. Can't say the same for the orange line.
As a lifelong Bay Stater, regular Red Line/T rider, occasional commuter rail rider, and fan of your channel, I’m happy that you’re doing a video on my city! One issue that’s really bad I’m surprised that you didn’t cover is the lack of frequency of trains (particularly on the Red Line). Even during rush hour, the Red Line trains only arrive every 15-20 mins (assuming you’re riding past JFK/UMass). Just this morning, I just missed the train by 30 secs and waited on the platform for 17 mins in freezing weather. Thankfully I use an app that tracks the trains, so it’s not as bad of an issue especially in the evening. But it’s absolutely unacceptable that you have to wait that long for a train going into and out of Boston during rush hour (and forget about using it during the weekend)! Even the new trains have an issue, where the button for the emergency call box is too big so people will accidentally press it and that means we stop at the station for a few mins as they investigate it. That happened to me twice on one ride! With all that being said, I will say the slow zones have gotten better at least on the red line and you’re definitely right about the commuter rail being great (although it can still be delayed sometimes). At one point it used to be almost an hour to go from Downtown Boston to Quincy then it was 30 mins, but now it’s about 20 mins. I’ll probably still use the train for the foreseeable future, since my building is right across the street from the station and parking and traffic are terrible. Just thank heavens for hybrid work, as I only have to go into the office 3 days per week and couldn’t imagine doing 5! Apologies for the long comment, but I just feel very passionately about this. Thank you for covering this and keep up the good work!
If you think waiting 17 minutes is horrific, try living in western Massachusetts!!! Bostonians are such spoiled wimps!!! All the funding & you're STILL full of complaints!!!
It would be nice if they'd fix the rails between NQ & Wolly station. They've worked on them overnight (delightful) many times over the past year and the trains still limp between both stations, vibrating the hell out of my house. It's literally sinking. Won't even start on the Comm Rail with a single track south of NQ. Disaster waiting to happen.
One of the most underrated issues with the MBTA that exasperates the train frequency issue is the fact that each line runs entirely incompatible rolling stock. Even if there is an outage on one line, you can't just use the trains from that line to increase service on other lines. Procurement is also multiple times harder with the different specs.
Totally agree with the "halfway" commentary. But I would go further to say America does the "bare minimum" on our infrastructure. The disaster of the MBTA is a perfect example of what happens when state politicians and the governor (Charlie Baker in this case) does the bare minimum to improve the system over decades. And now, we're paying for it with our time, money, and sanity 😩
The "bare minimum" standard doesn't just apply to transit. It is pretty much all of our infrastructure and it is only going to get worse. We've spent the last half a century (well, longer) building up sprawling cities with absolutely no plan on how we would maintain the infrastructure that was needed for those cities to function. That would be a problem for future us to figure out. Well, we are future us, and apparently we aren't doing a very good job of figuring it out, because the answer, it turns out, was to not build entire cities with no plan to maintain them long term.
@@HenryElfin I'm not even sure what you're trying to say there, but clearly most European democracies manage their transit systems and pretty well, and this even applies to the rest of the infrastructure to some degree.
@@smileyeagle1021 Suburbs kind of shovel their own financial grave. They are often built with federal subsidies with an infrastructure almost like a city, but actually only provide housing for a more rural kind of density. Then 20-30 years later when significant parts of that infrastructure start to rot and need replacing (but this time without the federal subsidies), a lot of those suburbs discover they just can't sustain that infrastructure on the tax payer base they have and go bankrupt. With the exception of areas that are full of really wealthy people, you can't have your cake and eat it - by which I mean, have city infrastructure on rural density.
Fun fact! The Ts incompetence extends to its hiring process too, someone on Reddit applied to be a bus driver (which their desperate for and are quite literally begging for people to apply to be) and the hiring process spanned multiple MONTHS and involved a medical check where he went in, got told to sit in a room and wait for the doctor, and then was quite literally completely forgotten about (he asked the nurses when he got frustrated and left, and they straight up forgot he was in there) for over 5 hours
Nothing you actually stated reflects poorly on them. It took 2 months of interviews to get my job, it happens. Requiring a medical check when it's noted that a lack of medical checks caused your staff to crash a train isn't an issue. Being forgotten at the doctor is a problem with the doctor. Not getting up and saying something for 5 hours says they aren't smart enough for the job in the first place. Believing someone on Reddit at full face value says you wouldn't be smart enough for the job either.
I was a daily green line commuter for the past 7 years (even through the pandemic) and just moved to a suburban town with a commuter rail station. The difference is night and day. My commute actually got shorter despite being 5x farther away. The biggest downside is they only runs trains once every 2 hours on the weekend and service stops at 11PM.
I don't miss the commuter rail at all. Especially the Bruins and Celtics games!! Ugh. Five hundred loud, drunken, obnoxious sports fans packed in with you when you were going home. I lived in Gloucester and used to commute to MGH. I guess it depends on what line you used but the Rockport/Newburyport line is overrun with sports fans from TD Garden at North Station.
As a native New Yorker, I see that your forum about the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, the first subway in America, is great. Thank you for your forum because it is the best and a blessing to railroad buffs like me.
I live in Lowell. The MBTA definitely has problems that need to be addressed, and it continues to be a big topic in our state. However, I will say that the most dangerous rapid transit system in the USA is still far safer than getting behind the wheel of a car. The MBTA is rough, but it's what we got. And I'm grateful for it despite its issues.
Hi. I’m from the UK. I know where your city is. It’s very charming. I used to pass through on my way into North Station. I was on vacation for five days, staying in Tewksbury, and used to take the train from Lowell.
@@BN3140 Hi again. You’ll know where it is. I was visiting Lowell in July 1999. I got the surprise of. my life in Lowell. I was travelling back from Boston on the train. A Greek American woman sat down beside me. I explained to her, I’d travelled around the US. You know the bus from the train station into Lowell? The woman gave me a hug right on the middle of a Lowell street. I was given the wrong information at North Station. I was told take the train to Billerica. I was told there was public transport. I’ve never forgotten a very kind lady who got off the train. She drove me all the way to Tewksbury to my hotel. I’d flown across the Atlantic Ocean from London. A middle aged woman out of nowhere. When she offered me the ride in the parking lot. I raised my hands right up in the air. I said you really don’t have to do this. She said, “I’m not an axe murderer ya know.” I did see the funny side 0f it. There wasn’t any public transport at Billerica. Friends were expecting me in Massachusetts. They didn’t have a clue what time of day I’d arrive, The All Stats Baseball Weekend was in Boston. I had no idea what it was, I couldn’t get accommodation anywhere in Boston. There was a guy at Logan who arranged my hotel in Tewksbury. I know who was born where you live. The Hollywood actress Bette Davies. Where you live, it’s kind of similar to the UK.
I did like Lowell very much. I only passed through it only for three days. I think you headed left outside the train station. I’ve used the subway in Boston. I took it over to Harvard Yard. It’s a truly delightful part of the United States you live in. I rented a bike on Boston Common. Massachusetts is gorgeous. Friends took me out over the weekend. On the Monday, I had to find my way around on MBTA. I was quite surprised at the hotel in Tewksbury. The staff asked where had I been to. I had to depend on the MBTA to get into Boston. Back in 99, it seemed to be very reliable.
South Boston resident here. Figured I’d touch on some points mentioned in the video. Safety: I hadn’t realized we were the most dangerous transit system in the US because the frequency is desensitizing. Last incident I can recall was last year when an orange line train caught fire, on a bridge over water. Speed: People regularly report out walking the green line(I myself did it last month while visiting). Delays are frequent and service infrequent. Only line that seems to be acceptable on this front is the Blue line which is of little use to the average Bostonian who doesn’t live by the line unless you wanna go to the aquarium. Access: You mention how most of the T’s ridership is poor and reliant, but growing up in the low income neighborhood I did, most people take the bus because they’d have to drive to the nearest subway station. The bus schedule can also be infrequent and they themselves are slow(these streets aren’t made for big cars, let alone buses). Driving: Driving in Boston is so unpleasant(roads wind, lanes are skinny, streets intersect at weird angles, or intersect with too many other roads and exit ramps creating overcomplicated intersections) that it’s a damning indictment that people would prefer that to taking the T. The problems are clear and it’s frustrating seeing the decline continue because of a lack of funding. I know, at least in the city, that people want this. Boston is an incredibly walkable city and a good transit system would be transformative for the city, and I think the could set a standard for urbanism in the US if done correctly. The video is right that more lines connecting areas outside the downtown would go a long way.
Now I'm not saying it's safe: there's too much broken stuff, deferred maintenance, and staff turn over. **BUT** The "Most Dangerous" angle is hyperbole. The MBTA has had one (non-suicide) passenger fatality in nearly a century (the recent Red line death). Compared to WMATA, MTA, etc, that's amazing. Compared to driving, it's beyond flawless. Although it's a bit like our driving record. Low number of fatalities but tons of little bumps and bruises. Our main problem is that we're Yankee cheapskates and don't want to pay to do it right until we have no other choice. The Big Dig only happened because the Fed picked up 95% of the tab.
One time I walked out of Boylston because the next train to Riverside was delayed for 11 minutes and I had to make it to work. It's getting increasingly worse by the day.
@@freemandrewFatalities aren't the only way to measure danger. Passengers aren't the only ones in danger. Just this Wednesday there was (another) near miss with a worker and electricity.
Blue Line of little use to Bostonians.... Yes, that may be true to Boston residents for the East Boston/Orient Heights neighborhood but you forget about the other communities outside of the city. The Blue Line is a major line for Revere and Chelsea residents, and soon, there will be more as Suffolk Downs project begins to open (first building opens in early 2024).
I am actually visiting my buddy in Worcester while visiting Boston from Philly. Got a kick out of the video when you mentioned the schedule. So awesome that I can get on a train in the Philly suburbs and get all the way there by train. Wish more of the US was like that.
@@adnamamediayea, it def does. Trains, trolly, bus, regional rail, Amtrak, nj transit. I live in South Jersey but can easily leave my car 5 mins from my house and get from Boston to DC by rail. I wish more people embraced it.
I have to give New Englanders credit for their rail. Even Northern New England (Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont) are increasing commuter and passenger rail, not as much as Southern New England (Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island). Connecticut is trying to get commuter rail from Danbury to New Milford, Waterbury to Hartford, Middletown to Hartford and the New England Central line from New London to Brattleboro Vermont. Also, Shore Line East service to Westerly, Rhode Island - with a connection to the MBTA.
Getting from Cambridge to Winter Hill is taking a Red Line to Davis and then taking one of the frequent buses or a short walk. MBTA buses are under rated.
It depends on the bus. A lot of major bus lines (1, 77, etc) are seriously hindered by traffic, leading to bunching. Some lines (e.g., the 89) could be great and are extremely useful but have been deprioritized for Reasons.
The only solace with Boston's transit, is that Logan Airport is a legit T stop. Other cities, you have to travel well outside the limits to get to the airport. You can take the Blue Line or the Silver Line, to get to where you need to go from Boston's airport. The Silver Line goes to South Station, which is also the terminus for the Acela.
The Silver Line was because it was cheaper than building a fourth harbour tunnel (for Commuter Rail), and so folks could go Boston airport to Worcester airport. Personally I say have the Blue Line go past Charles MGH goto Kendall Square at the junction of Main Street and Vassar (which is where the proposed Urban Ring to Allston/Assembly Row is supposed to go) That way folks from airport could take that line take the urban ring to the proposed station near WGBH get off and take commuter rail to Worcester if they want Worcester Airport.
Another issue is the crazy high cost for infrastructure construction and maintenance in the U.S. Building a new mile of subway or light rail line often costs 5 times as much as it does in even the wealthiest European nations in similar urban contexts. This applies to other (non-transit) infrastructure as well. Not sure where all this money goes. Would be interesting to see a video on the reasons behind that at some point!
NIMBY lawsuits, and extraneous fluff like DEI and ESG consultants, plus the ridiculous amount of management overhead that rots most US companies and govt agencies, figure 7-10 layers of management for every non-managerial role. UK has the same issue.
No in-house planning, design, and construction management staff so everything is contracted out to consultants. Like with the actual construction it's contractors all the way down!
Its all government corruption. Not a mystery. Why else do you think the Democrat run California "high speed rail" project has somehow spent billions yet nothing is built yet?
A lot of it is flat stolen by contractors doing cheaper, substandard work than they billed for, and disappearing once the flaws are found out. What happened to DC's Silver Line, anyway. Another classic of the genre is bid $1billion, get halfway done, go back to the state and say if you don't get another $2billion, you're walking off the job with a half built line no one can use, DC Purple Line.
As someone who currently commutes 2-hours into Boston every morning at the mercy of the MBTA, I thank you for showcasing our crumbling public transit system. I will say while the commuter rail is nice, its very expensive if you live in the outer zones. I can't afford $22 a day or hundreds for a month pass when I can drive my car and take the T for far less. The safety issues 100% drive away those who can make the choice to drive. I have a friend who was on the Orange line train that caught fire in 2022. She hasn't ridden the T since and drives into the city every day. I can't wait to move.
Back when the DC Metro's ring line (Purple) was being developed I was living near its initial Western terminus in Bethesda, MD. The pushback it got from NIMBYs was infuriating. They refused to even consider the line's importance because they were worried it would affect property values.
I don't understand how a train line connecting the suburbs to each other could be seen as doing anything other than *IMPROVING* property values. In the Philadelphia suburbs being near a regional rail stop *inflates* property value, and going between suburbs means you wouldn't even have the more insidious "keeping the poors away" angle of opposing it. Baffling.
@@cloudkittits not even like the area would be upzoned, tons of new upzoned transit hub areas only demolish strip malls and 1/2 streets into the suburb which is good imo, eventually all the most unique suburban architecture (not the cookiecutters, the more unique 60s, 70s, and 80s buildings like office parks and shed style architecture
When I visited DC somewhat recently I stayed in Bethesda specifically because the metro was right there. Wouldn’t have stayed in a hotel there and visited their stores if it wasn’t for the metro
I'm from Boston and extremely passionate about public transportation. This is the video I wish I had the time and skill to make. Great job!! I remember when a lot of the MBTA horrors happened. From burning trains to the dragging death to brake failures, safety always comes last. On top of that, riders have no say in the system, which has made people feel hopeless, distrustful, and angry. I hope the city I love can someday have the safe and accessible transportation we deserve.
As someone from a suburb west of Boston, I can confirm that taking the train from Riverside Station on the Green Line is like moving at the pace of MOLASSES. It's been this slow forever! Driving to downtown Boston is faster, but parking is IMPOSSIBLE, especially near Fenway Park. That's the only reason anyone bothers with the Green Line.
21:28 As someone who grew up in Lynn, I have to point out that there has been a very strong desire to bring the Blue Line (a subway line) to the city, but it is apparently prohibitively expensive and never gains traction. In fact, the garage at Lynn commuter rail station was originally intended to support a Blue Line stop, which is why it is so much larger than the parking at neighboring stations such as Melrose and Swampscott. Most of my life, when going into Boston I would drive to Wonderland Station in Revere (the northern terminus of the Blue Line) and take the subway, instead of using the commuter rail, which doesn't run frequently enough. Also, Thomas McGee is no longer the mayor, it has been Jared Nicholson for over a year now 😆
Also a note on that part of the video, Quincy is most certainly not commuter rail-oriented. It has four red line stops with strong ridership (including two recently renovated) and only one commuter rail connection with infrequent service. The Quincy Center commuter rail platform is the last thing on Mayor Koch’s mind 😆
The blue line was initially planned to go all of the way up to salem, much like the red line was supposed to reach reach arlington. Both ended up being shut down by NIMBYs who didn't want undesirables in their towns, now only some of who are realizing their mistakes...
How much tax revenue does the gov take in and how much would the plan cost over what period of time? Let's give context to "prohibitively" expensive. I am at the point of not caring about cost. I pay taxes to this screwed up gov regardless and I will never see that money again. I say build it, cost be damned. We spent $10 trillion dollars on our war of terror we can afford a bit of modern infrastructure.
It’s definitely true that the benefits of public transport are under-appreciated in the US. Awesome public transport is truly life-changing. I’m from Switzerland, but have lived in Boston/Cambridge for most of the past 17 years. I went back for a year in Zurich, and didn’t need to have a car - with a young child. It was exhilarating to be able to go anywhere almost door-to-door and just roll the stroller onto the train/tram/bus. Some trains even have small playgrounds in them! And it’s wonderful not having to worry about whether or not I will be late, to have time back while somebody else does the driving, and to be able to have that extra glass of wine if I want. (Oh, and my unlimited all-of-Switzerland public transport pass cost less than my parking in Boston!) People don’t even know what they’re missing.
Trust me they are. But the voices in US are too divided currently to do anything. The big oil lobbying group does not wants any public transit because they want to keep oil demand pretty high in this nation
But, surprisingly, most people in Boston would actually boast about the city's public transit. That's because they've traveled SO little. Years back, while standing on a Blue Line platform and seeing the condition of the cars that pulled into the station, I texted a member of the Mass. General Court (assembly), exclaiming that it looked like a train system in a 3rd world country. I'd been trying to meet with him to have him talk to whomever necessary about a means for providing the transit aims of the GLX (~$2.2B) for a $1B less. I'd already showed it to him via email, and HE KNEW I WAS RIGHT, but he didn't want to upset the political/bureaucratic/construction$ 'applecart'.
@@d1g1tvl-0hretor1c That's actually not true due to recent immigration. Seeing black people here in Switzerland has become a pretty common sight these days, though it's obviously nowhere near the level it is in the US.
6:30 I was the one who called 911 on April 10th, when the train doors on broadway malfunctioned and clamped shut on a mans arm and started to move. to my knowledge I was the only one who actually saw him. I was trying to help him since the doors typically always open. I still have nightmares about it. Have spent an ungodly amount of money on ubers.
also the red line, where it happened is the only train station that goes directly to my college. its also the closest train station to me. so my 20-25min commute (on a good day) turned into 1-2hrs.
As an American it's so embarrassing how willfully outdated or the lack there of public transportation options we have in this country. Don't get me started on the rest of the infrastructure that is crumbling as we speak with no plans or money to fix.
This video neglected to mention the North-South Rail Link, which is *the* missing piece to fully take advantage of the commuter rail system. The South and West routes all go to South Station, and are completely unconnected to the North routes out of North Station. Once that is built, much of the commuter rail system could be used in a pinch as a backup to the subway system, which could greatly help the T do needed upgrades on the various lines. For example, the Orange Line almost perfectly parallels Commuter rail routes, so if they were connected, the OL could be shut down entirely with minimal impact, while it is upgraded.
@@stephenlight647 The most frustrating part is that Boston was going to build it about a century ago. They were working on the financing… in 1929. Oops.
The Link isn’t going to happen, there used to be buses instead which is more reasonable, the problem with those is there isn’t really parking/loading for them on Atlantic Ave. because the right lane is for turns onto Summer St. There are however three other options; taxi, Blue Bike or walk, the cab fare is about $10-12 depending on traffic but they can’t hop on and off the x-way like they used to be able to. (Big Dig changed it). Also, it’s considered sort of a short fare for the cab driver as it’s only a mile as the crow flies but it is what it is.
Goto the Government Center *OR* Boylston station on the green line (inbound/east bound) or State Street station on the blue line (outbound/east bound) probably the loudest three I know of on the system. You can 'charm' away at train wheel sounds there.
I think the Chicago Transit Authority also deserves some respect for its public transportation infrastructure. The busses fill in the gaps between trains quite nicely
As an MBTA commuter, mostly via bus, I think it is worth mentioning two things... 1. The Blue-Red connector is currently being discussed. Yes, I know that has been going on for a while but it does look like there is some steam with this one, specifically with the possibility of closing Bowdoin Station for good to extend the station several thousand feet. 2. There is currently a plan called the MBTA Focus 40, which is something to be completed by 2040. I personally don't know much about it but I am aware that it includes making several bus routes into express busses that would act like the Urban Rings. Several of those express routes will use bus lanes that are currently being installed recently...
the fact that the London Underground, with it's ancient tunnels and trains, has significantly less issues even with TfL's money issues, shows that this really is an issue of Boston not solving the problems in time. Also that map of the Underground you showed at 10:05 is literally over a decade out of date.
nearly all inner-city train systems in Europe were established several decades before the US started building theirs, and all of the European systems work many times better than any kind of commuter system in the US. It's a matter of how the public transport is perceived. In Europe, public transport is generally something we see as required for society to function, while in the US there's an overwhelming belief it's something for the poor who can't afford a car, and thus the ones who can do something to improve it, refuses
when i saw that part again after you pointed it out i got furious because the DLR was colored Pink and the rest of the Overground wasnt there, just the East London Line
@@thesteelrodent1796Yes, it’s the impact of car culture here w/the idea of “freedom” and independence. The USA is so vast, our freeways/highways/roadways and vehicles are much bigger as well.
Sam didn't get the actual roads right either by deliberately excluding Rt9. That said, The "Boylston squeal" shows how tight/old Boston's subway is. It's almost charming; but Boston has also had over a century to fix that problem and has done nothing.
Great video! As a former resident of Boston I've been waiting for a while to see the MBTA's problems be told to a wider audience. The new General Manager Phillip Eng has a great track record and has been making great improvements so far. One thing you didn't mention was how the MBTA bus routes theoretically help avoid the kind of in-and-out trips the radial subway necessitates. In reality, the buses are can be slow and unreliable, but their routes do a decent job of supplementing the radial subway system with circular or connecting routes. Bostonians are pretty ride or die for the T and even if they don't like it a good majority will continue to use it. They have a lot of patience but a lot of that patience is starting to wear out after 20 years of neglect by legislature and the MBTA board of directors.
These funding issues and mismanagement problems are not just unique to Boston. The way that MARTA is run here in Atlanta is absolutely shameful. I'm sure other cities have similar issues, as well.
As someone that’s familiar with both, MARTA is far better than the T. MARTA stations were built where there was better parking, the T the stations are there based on population density. Meaning Atl. more that has to be maintained that is more spread apart. Boston also never underestimate a Massachusetts public official’s ability to screw over the Commonwealth.
I am a 15 year old high school student, meaning i can't drive. I live in Woburn and go to school in Natick. My parents dont get off work until late so they cant drive to Natick and back (40 minutes each way) so that means i have to take the T. I take the CR followed by the red line followed by a bus, and i sometimes have to walk another 2 miles after that (long story). Overall, my travel can take 2-3 hours. It's frankly unacceptable.
As a Bostonian and fan of the channel, glad to see this here! The T has suffered for years from Charlie Baker's administration. He gave the T the bare minimum, hoping to create an argument for privitization when it eventually broke down. He also famously never rode the T until he needed to for a photo op! The closures are so frustrating but what we need to catch up on deferred maintenance. I love being able to hop on the subway or the bus to go to the doctors or the grocery store, and i dont need a car! Its great :)
MBTA - "Maybe By Tomorrow Arrival" It goes well before Baker. The T has never put enough into upkeep and modernization (seriously, it took that long to get the GLX built?), and waaaaayyyy too much of its budget is for the pension plan. So here we are, spending billions to finally bring our transit system into the 1990s. I love where I live, and I'm rooting for the T, but it has become a farce.
My God, good and reasoned transit content outside of the transit nerd bubble. Truly a rare sight. On my last trip to Boston I was shocked to discover that a 50 minute walk from South Station to the concert hall was faster than both the public transit option and the rideshare option. Truly an urban planning nightmare.
The half way comment is so true. Denver is about to build a BRT line. One of the suburbs has refused to give it a lane to operate so it will function as a bus during that portion. Also they are stopping the line a relatively short distance from a college campus and a sports stadium. The whole this is so frustrating. The line will fail because we refuse to do it right. So many self inflicted wounds.
I've been to Seoul Korea quite a few times in recent years, and I ADORE their subway system. It's this really beautiful blend of chaos, loops, and radial that makes it so effective at connecting people, even if you're an hour out of the city. Like, in Baltimore & DC, i'd never even think of taking the subway since I have my car and just drive... but I feel subways in the US in general are just, poorly designed as a "Suburbs to downtown" kinda layout, while the one in Seoul is literally, three transfers in any direction and BAM, you're where you want to be.
It does seem that most transit systems use a hub-and-spoke topology. It works great for Disney World, since their system has a natural hub (the Magic Kingdom) and spokes (hotels). But less useful for real-life commutes unless you happen to work downtown. If you live in the suburbs and work in a different part of the suburbs, it doesn't work so well.
Baltimore's subway is particularly badly planned -- it's not even connected to the train station, you have to take the tram between there and the subway! And you know what happens to trams at rush hour -- they get hopelessly stuck in traffic!
Another Bostonian here. I live along the Green Line. Many of my friends live in Cambridge along the Red Line. We almost never visit one another - usually meeting up downtown, simply because there is no easy way back and forth between our places. As the crow flies, we aren't far at all, but the fact that we would need to take transit downtown, and then back out means that it's usually a no go. Not to mention that parking in Cambridge is the 7th level of hell.
As an old phart that grew up on Winter Hill when , as kids , we used to ride the T all day in the 1950's for 25 cents. We could go anywhere we wanted and if you wanted to go cross town back then there was still street car service to get you there. It was eliminated and replaced with busses. If you want to get cross town then learn the bus routes to do shortcuts. Since then I have worked in much of the US and often used the cities transit systems. I was in DC when the subway first opened and as it grew I used it a lot but once again I learned bus routes to get around. Learn about all that is available. Far to often I hear the complaints about the T being slow in Boston while the morning news does a traffic report that says 74 minutes for a car ride into Boston that the next day might be 26 minutes while the South East distress way is a parking lot plus I-93 has a backup from Somerville to Wilmington.
OMG I live in Winter Hill. On Grant Street. Everything is changing so much there now. Star Market is gone and being converted to condos. Foss Park is still there but that's changed a lot too. A lot of gentrification. Leone's Pizza is still there thank God!! Was that there when you lived there? Love their pizza!!!
A lot of what was mentioned in this video can be applied to Toronto, in fact the current CEO of the Toronto Transit Commission is the old head of the MBTA Rick Leary (and let's just say he is not well liked). That said just like Boston, Toronto had a period of Highway expansions plans that were ultimately axed by the Provincial Government in favour of transit expansion which included new subway lines, LRT lines, the GO Train (commuter rail) and the unbuilt GO ALRT which was like Montreals REM just back in the 80's. A lot of the expansions plans went up in smoke when Premier Bill Davis retired in 1985, and things got worse in the 90's when Premier Mike Harris cut all subsidies to transit making the TTC the least funded transit network in North America (This also put the final nail in the coffin for our old trolley buses). Just like Boston Toronto suffers from the single point of failure issue as we only really have 1 real east-west subway line (Line 2) and while Line 1 is a U-shaped route in the north-south direction most of its ridership is on the eastern "Yonge branch" so if either of these lines go down (and it happens often) it results in complete chaos. The coming of the Eglinton Crosstown (Line 5), the Ontario Line (Line 3) and the proposed extension of the Sheppard Subway (Line 4) will go a long way in alleviating this issue. That said the TTC still suffers from a lot of differed maintenance due to lack of funding from the Provincial government as the TTC needs to rely almost entirely on fare box revenue and the city to pay for things. Slow orders are also a nagging problem for our streetcar network due to the TTC having some weird operating practises. Our commuter rail network (the GO Train) is also a bright spot for the region and is currently being electrified. That said it is a radial network with all lines converging at Union Station downtown so while its a fantastic choice if you are travelling from the suburbs into downtown, it is all but useless for suburb to suburb travel. Suburb to subrub travel in the Greater Toronto Area has always been an issue, partly due to the fact that unlike in Boston all of the transit agencies in the GTA are independent so their is little integration between them (eg no fare integration). The province is currently working on integrating all the fare structures in the GTA but I thiink expanding the GO Train network with routes like the proposed Midtown Line and a ring line around the Highway 407 corridor connecting Durham, York, a Peel regions would also make suburb to suburb travel significantly easier.
you’re right in that suburb-to-suburb travel is awful in the GTA. even though there are GO bus routes that connect various locations along the 401, it is often times faster getting from the east end to the west end just taking two trains that connect at union just because of traffic. that proposed 407 route sounds wonderful though
Was waiting to see if someone from Toronto or the GTA would comment about our situation and the parallels to Boston's situation. From someone who's been a life-long resident of Toronto and the GTA, great points and great job!
I will say that visiting Boston last year, not long after the Orange line shutdown was done, was one of my favorite trips I’ve ever taken. Living in suburban and car-centric central Illinois, only having to drive to and from a train station in Providence every day to get to downtown was such a vacation from my everyday life. The T has its problems, yes, but the commuter rail is excellent and the subway system has good frequency, even for the non-rush hour-centric trips that we needed as tourists. Obviously transit shouldn’t be focused on that demographic, but there’s good bones to expand service and reliability in the future. And get that North-South Rail Link done.
Rapid transit from the green line is a bit of an overstatement. I go on the T when I have a lot of time on my hands and really want to soak in the atmosphere of the city, you know, kind of like the choo-choo train at Canobie lake park, but slower.
Charlie Baker the governor of the state from 2014 through 2022 unilaterally and single-handedly reallocated $300 million of funds meant for maintenance of the central subway lines to commuter rail expansion projects without any consent, oversight or guidance from another member of the Massachusetts state government or its adjacent agencies. I simply cannot fathom how this is not a felony. This is not how our government is supposed to operate in any way, shape or form.
Living in Seattle, where our transit is also far too commuter focused, with ridership devastated by remote work, with maintenance problems causing massive speed restrictions and requiring shutting down whole chunks of the line to fix, all governed by a regional board that seems more interested in catering to NIMBYs than riders, it was so funny when you started talking about better networks and used stock footage of our Link.
@@drjustino Oh for sure. The way other US cities run their transit makes Sound Transit look like a bastion of competence and efficiency. It's just funny how we're all complaining about our trains and here's Sam showing them off as an example of good transit.
Seattle also has the triple whammy of concentrated workforces. MS people live in Redmond and Bellvue so they DON'T have to commute to the MS campus, which is why it's so insanely expensive to live in Redmond/Bellvue. Amazonians live downtown so they don't have to commute to the Amazon sites downtown, making downtown insanely expensive. Boeing people live in Everett so they don't have to deal with the commute, also Everett is a commuter community for people priced out of areas down south of it. Remember to this day, there is no light rail or commuter rail running to the MS campus in Redmond, I think LR is finally going to start up next year. With Seattle probably being the worst US city to drive in, the current situation is understandable. Seattle's long, skinny layout doesn't help either, if you're driving through there is no alternative to the eternal traffic jam on I-5.
@@mrvwbug4423 There is the 99, but of course it doesn't have any direct connection to the 90 and 520. And of course it turns into a surface street in North Seattle.
As a collage student living in Boston 2000-2005 I loved the T. No need for a car, easy to get around generally. But, I live downtown. Once I moved to Malden, took over an hour to work each way on the Orange line (forget if I took red or direct to Back Bay). To be honest I didn't mind, but glad I don't have to use it today.
As a person who was born and raised in the Boston Area. This video is not only accurate, but points out all the problems that commuters have with the system. It USED to be a system for the people, but now they care so little about us that its exploding from the inside. If they listened to us they wouldnt be falling apart at the seams.
1. This video hits MOST of our (Bostonian/MA resident) issues. I am glad that more youtubers are speaking on this. 2. The commuter rail trains NEEEEEEEEEDDDDDD to be upgraded. I hate looking at carts throughout the world and how completely sensible their layouts are compared to our seating arrangements. Especially post-covid, the seating on the commuter rail sucks so much. You're expected to fit as many people as possible but that also makes it a very uncomfortable ride. The only pro to their design is if you're overweight, you're not confined by the seat size but that still is a huge annoyance. 3. I badly would love for the T to go under and allow it to be state run, with an asterixis that the state ACTUALLY puts in effort. The company has made so many bad decisions since the charlie card was implemented.
As a commuter rider I agree they should be updated; however, I think funds should be focused onto the subway fixes in the meantime. The CR rolling stock still works great
@@agentorange153 What change would you make to make them "state-run"? I would consider them state run already, as they are a public agency given power by the state government to do this task.
@@notstarboard9792 This is a question you should be asking @SiincereARC, not me -- but I think what he (or she) means is running the agency from Springfield instead of Boston (presumably to cut out the corruption at the local level)!
I agree with most of this video, having lived in Boston for four years. That being said, the route you made for your Winter hill residing soccer player is very doable with a bus, specifically buses I've taken to my friends' places
Exactly, almost all subways start by being cross center lines, radial lines come only very late in very large cities like Paris, Moscow etc.. This whole video is a bit half assed in a lot of aspects
USA cities where not build for cars ~ they where demolished for cars. As seen from the Boston example, it was dens like Europe and got removed for insterstate and parking lots.
I was in Paris for holidays this year, their metro is so amazing. You can get everywhere in the city so quickly and easily, and always be within walking distance of your destination. Even switching between trains is so effortless. I didn't need any other means of transportation during my stay.
I was in Boston this year as well and can say the same thing. I never needed a car once. That's the issue with this video: it's more alarmist and doom and gloom than it needs to be, and focuses on a specific subset of riders. Yes, all public transportation has issues and the little bit of it that we have in America is not ideal, being that we're a car-centric country. But in all the traveling I've done, this is nowhere near the worst that I've seen. Only $2.50 to go one-way all over Boston? I'll gladly take that over the $7 one-way with limited subway lines that I have now, thanks.
It’s crazy you posted this video at the same exact time I started my new job in Boston, I now take the commuter rail and orange line 4 days a week. The first time ever using public transportation. It’s also wild that it costs over 400$ a month for me to do that. This seems like another huge barrier for members in struggling communities around Boston to find better employment opportunities. I think one thing you missed is that people who live on the ends of the commuter lines pay the most and are also some of the lowest income communities.
@@atl5033Zone 8 to north station is $388 a month with the zone pass. Plus a two way trip on the orange line every day. Adds up to over 400 a month. That was the point of my comment, people coming from lower income central MA actually have to pay more than the people coming from high income towns closer to the city. Charlie cards don’t make your trip cheeper, they just let you add more money on a single card.
@@atl5033 Zone pass for zone 8 is $388/month. Owning a Charley card doesn’t make the T any cheaper, it just makes paying more convenient. The point of my comment was that people from lower income areas like central MA are actually paying more than users from wealthy Boston suburbs.
Commuter Rail has significantly less ridership at face value, but those trips are also significantly longer. Then, you add that Commuter Rail users are typically over 80% choice riders(meaning they have access to an automobile), the Commuter Rail might actually be reducing more vehicle miles traveled(VMTs) than the subway. I don't disagree with the video, I'm just pointing out that it's easy to look at Commuter Rail ridership and consider it insignificant.
And why is "VMTs" significant? If you look at it from the environmental impact then "not owning a car" is more important than "VMTs (for commuting)". Therefore people who use commuter rail but own a car are not the main focus for the environmental argument. And if you look at it from the impact on equality then again "not having to own a car" is more important than "VMTs". So no, I would argue Commuter rail ridership in the Boston area should be considered insignificant.
@@Jehty_VMT is the biggest contributor to CO2 emissions from transportation. Reducing it is a good thing. The Commuter Rail also has major potential to transform the eastern half of the state, if it were to be overhauled into a true regional rail service. That means more frequency, electrified trains, level platforms, etc.
@@birdrocket of course reducing VMTs is a good thing. But reducing car owner ship is much much more important. (because that also reduces VMTs and also much more other pollution) And for the second half of your comment: how is that relevant? OP was talking about how commuter rail is significant now. So why does it matter for the discussion that a hypothetical new system has potential?
@@Jehty_ well, there is one factor where VMT reigns supreme, and that is traffic fatalities. Yeah, the ideal when it comes to environmental impact would be not owning a car, but the next best thing is owning a car and minimizing VMT. Yeah, I can see the argument that not having to own a car is a bigger impact on equity, but the flip side of that is that every person who takes the commuter train is one less person who is at risk of hitting and killing a pedestrian in the city. For that matter, if we want to bring up equity, often times one of the most dangerous jobs in a city is being on a road crew tasked with cleaning up after a car crash, those road crews also typically aren't the best paid of workers... want to guess what doesn't happen as often as VMT is decreased? Yeah, the ideal is making it so that owning a car truly is a luxury instead of a quasi necessity, that would have the biggest impact on the environment and equity, but to disregard the importance of VMT, especially when there is a low hanging fruit option to reduce it, is a mistake.
@@Jehty_ it’s relevant because the commuter rail is something that should not be neglected but given even more attention. Not at the expense of improvements to the downtown core, but as a supplement to it.
This is interesting to see. I was recently visiting someone in Boston, and we rode the T a lot, mostly on the green line. It was definitely slow, and the trains running express past our stop multiple times was a bit unfortunate, but to me, it didn't seem too bad. I had no idea about all these problems.
Fun fact, go to any of planned interchanges of highways that were supposed to run into Boston and youll see the amputated infrastructure. There are still mysterious ramps on the lower deck, clearing where I-95 was supposed to keep going, etc. The one that should have continued is I-95 going straight from Canton into Boston. I-93 has a natural bottleneck with little options to avoid(marshland in Milton) and has WAYYY too many cars coming from all points south, including RI, the south coast and the entire cape and islands. Even in the depths of the pandemic, youd still see traffic on I-93.
Oh, I can add to this... Regarding the abandoned cloverleaf in the Canton area, the neighborhoods were bulldozed to extend I-95 directly into the city. It was then halted and what was left was abandoned land. The land eventually became the MBTA Orange Line right of way and MBTA Commuter Rail. On I-93 just north of the Zakim Bridge, there is a little offshoot. This was suppose to be northern start of the third ring known as the I-695. It met resistance in Cambridge and was eventually shut down. On the southern side... well, because the area was more poorer, the neighborhood was demolished and cleared. The scar is still there, although it goes by a different name, Melnea Cass Blvd. And what about the northern side of I-95. Look into the circle at Rt-1 and Squire Rd in Revere and you will see an offshoot. That was where the original I-95 should have continued and you can see the path where it would have gone through Saugus. The original path would have taken I-95 through Lynn Woods and connect to the current I-95 in Peabody. That is why I-95 makes that near 90 degree angle from I-495...
The Blue Line is actually the least dangerous of the four subway lines in Boston, as it has suffered the least amount of high profile incidents. However, the line's tracks east of Airport station have been deteriorating due to saltwater corrosion because of the line's close proximity to the coast, and the risk of saltwater corrosion has caused the line's trains to be replaced at a faster rate than the other three lines.
It was a big mistake not to build the recently retired Blue and Orange line trains with stainless steel bodies. This has been corrected in the new fleets.
@@jameswilliams4044It lacks a DIRECT Red Line connection, but the link can still be made by not getting off the subway @ Govt. Ctr., Blue to Green, Green to Red.
He showed Chicago CTA stock footage quite a few times here but didn't mention Chicago by name. The Chicago CTA, and several other American light rail systems would DRASTICALLY benefit from ring networks. Adding 2 or 3 meaningful ring networks would redefine those light rail systems and their utility, and increase rider consideration significantly. More train lines, more robust systems that allow for more travel opportunity using that system = more loyal riders.
Chicagoan here, still praying one day CTA listens to the call for a Gray Line connecting all the other lines. 🙏 Given how long it took them to secure funding for the Red Line extension though, I won't be holding my breath. 😅
We have one in San Diego for the Green and Orange lines converging in Grossmont (east county suburbs) and didn't realize its benefits for a few months. It's nice to have easy transfers to visit other nearby suburbs
I mostly disagree with the ring idea in Chicago. The obvious missing feature in Chicago is seamless travel from one side of the city to the other. The commuter rail lines do not link with each other or with transit properly, there's no direct bus route up Lake Shore Drive between south side and north side, and there's only one true through rail route -- the Red Line. Link these up and establish three or four through routes, and then we can worry about circle routes, but I honestly think the only circle route that would really do well is something along the lines of the dormant Mid-City Transitway plan, going up the west side linking the two airports with the transit hub at Jefferson Park, and continuing southeast of Midway to link up with Metra RI and Metra Electric around about 75th street or so.
@@danielbliss1988 Why not both? :) But yeah it's absolutely a disservice that the Red Line is (basically) the only non-convoluted option for traversing the city north-south. Screw anyone who doesn't live on the eastern sides I guess.
Not to mention that the MBTA Commuter Rail is really Keolis operated which has a European influence to rail. With that said, CR has issues with shared freight rail lines which cause delays along with aging engines prone to failure. Been on multiple CR failure involving engine fire, derailment or electrical failure. Oddly enough fall causes the most delay vs winter as leaves prove more slippery than winter weather!
It is not Keolis owned, it is Keolis operated. The difference is that the service standards, vehicles, and infrastructure are generally MBTA state owned (and actually owned by Amtrak and freight railways in places).
@@jacktattersall9457 I do believe Keolis does maintain and leases locomotives for the operations. I think they maintain the GP40s and lease a GP38 (GP38-2 2635). MassDOT also lets MBTA utilize their locomotives as well.
@@smileyeagle1021 Keolis also operates Virginia Railway Express in Virginia and the ION Light Rail for Grand River Transit in Kitchener - Waterloo (Ontario, Canada). They tried to win the contract for Maryland's MARC commuter rail but lost because of a state law that penalized required extraordinary historical research on the Holocaust and Vichy France because of their majority ownership by SNCF, which was under Vichy France (Nazi) control during the holocaust. And by the way, SNCF tried to satisfy it, translating a massive 1990s history of both SNCF's involvement in Nazi atrocities and resistance activities by SNCF personnel against the Nazi regime that got them killed.
To be honest even the commuter rail is underinvested in. It's incredible that we still haven't built the north-south connector; it would go a long way to making the commuter rail viable for a lot more types of commutes
This problem is not just on subways but also with the buses. In Charlotte, NC, If you want to transit between suburbs , you would have to take a 45 min bus to downtown and another 45min bus from downtown to that other suburb. Travelling by car would hardly take 10-15 mins on the I-485.
MA resident here. Great video. My daughter was at college 40 miles away. I could drive to school, pick her up and drive back home faster than she could take the Commuter Rail and subway. That would have taken her over two hours and cost between $15-$20.
Standard mileage reimbursement rates are 65 cents a mile, so your car trip was more like 3x the price. Taking the car also resulted in more cumulative travel time for the both of you and was worse for the environment.
@@notstarboard9792 We got time to visit, so that's a plus and she got door to door. I still would have had to drive to the train station to pick her up. She would have had to take a bus, a train, a subway, and another train.
@@dave900575 Not saying there aren't benefits to making the trip yourself. I just feel compelled to push back when people point to transit as the more expensive option.
Fair enough, but if the trip is going to take longer and be inconvenient I'm looking to save money. If it's going to cost the same I'll drive. I wish we had more and reliable public transportation. I used to take the train into Boston years ago. That was a hassle because I never knew when I was leaving the office. Then drive part way and took the bus the rest of the way. Between late and or busses that never showed I gave up and drove.
Seeing black and white photos from the 70s and 80s of subway cars I ride every day is surreal, and goes a long way towards explaining "how" things got so bad haha.
Growing up in the 90s, the T was always reliable transport. I frequented the Park St/ Govt. Station area. They were in good shape, some paint work needed but good shape. 25yrs later, during a recent visit to this area. I find cracks, water leaks, missing chunks of concrete. There should be a video on why this happened? Why was the maintenance deferred? Or why governor Deval Patrick used it to pay for the Big Dig?
There were some bad winters in the ‘00s and teens, major snow dumps, refreezing and melting that have stressed a lot of the concrete and begun to expose rebar.
Thank you so much for this video! I’m a MBTA red line rider and it frustrates me that people think there’s a lack of demand for the T. People don’t ride because the service sucks. I routinely wait 15-20 mins for a train at rush hour. Better, more reliable service induces demand. We’re in such a deep hole now I don’t know how or if we can get out though.
I feel like a big part of the problem is that most elected officials in most Canadian/American cities don't use public transit themselves because they are usually on the wealthier side (and there's sooo many reasons for wealth to be tied to participation in politics). As a result, they have no personal interest in seeing transit be improved and they tend to be the type who don't want to invest until usage magically increases. Yet, they are far more willing to invest in car infrastructure (and they usually own cars). Same thing with housing. Because they're disproportionately well off and own housing, elected officials tend to be NIMBYs who have no interest in improving housing availability. It outright benefits them for housing to be expensive.
I've worked in the T tunnels as an engineer during many of those shutdowns mentioned in the video. It's honestly incredible being down there, almost like walking through a time capsule. You can see the difference in construction practices between the decades as you pass through different parts of the tunnels, but what you said in the video about willpower is most apparent. These pioneers of the American subway system just wanted a better way to get around than the busy and filthy surface level streets of the time. We need to attack this problem with the same willpower of the past. Thank you for bringing attention to this issue.
Well said. The will to change is in short supply, these days.
@@Redmenace96 in politics maybe, not for the people.
With the Americans' love of cars, it is unlikely that a functioning and inexpensive public transportation system will be established. But cars are another matter. Today, the average EV costs $47,000. That's too expensive for 80% of people. What will they drive instead? Scooters? Bicycles? Welcome to the future!
The point about willpower is very important. People want change, but there is little appetite to tolerate the period of disruption that it requires. I get it, but nothing will ever get done otherwise. Obviously, we don't want another Big Dig level of going over-budget and nearly a decade beyond expected completion, but a massive modernization of the MBTA would take time, money, and a hell of a lot of patience. I'd imagine any governor overseeing the bulk of it will probably get reamed, and they likely don't want to be the ones overseeing it, either (people's needs be damned).
Maybe the solution is to hire the engineers of the Peoples Republic of Chiina to upgrade our system. They could do so in a fraction of the time we could and on a much smaller buidget.
As a Boston area lifelong resident, thanks for highlighting this! One point you didn't touch on that I was hoping you'd discuss was the debt the MBTA was forced to take on from the Big Dig.
I DONT CARE WHY WOULD I, MY CONTENT IS SUPERIOR
Bostonian, the word you're looking for is Bostonian.
Much of this debt is from projects that improved transit as an agreement from the Big Dig. Yes, they are from the Big Dig, but the debt is exclusively from MBTA related projects. This includes projects such as the new GLX.
@@michaelpare5997crazy thing is isn’t that like one of the ONLY original mitigation projects to finally get completed other than the old colony commuter lines? I know Arborway was laughed off. Red/Blue and blue to Lynn kicked down the hall, north/south rail was also ignored. I’m actually shocked GLX ever got completed. Can’t wait to come back home and hopefully see it running
It may not have been mentioned directly but he did point out 20% of the annual expense was due to debt. The specifics would probably require its own video.
I was a NYC dockbuilder when they were doing the big dig in Boston. Some of the boys were sent up there to help with the tunneling. They were a bit shocked by the methods used to hang massive cement slabs on the ceiling. Holes were drilled into the roof slab and pins were glued in place. Slabs of precast cement were then hung from the pins. Meaning, the only thing holding these very heavy sections up was glue. This was very different from how it was usually done. The glue was 2 part and had a complex mixing nozzle that combined the glue and hardener as it was dispensed. None of them were sold this method's functionality and they advised anyone who would listen against using the tunnel. Within a couple of years, the slabs began to fall and people lost their lives...
They went with the regular Elmer's, not the heavy duty. Was stuck in that tunnel every day for 9 years and don't think for one second that the ceiling falling hadn't gone through my brain more than once. Epoxy in cement holding a four ton slab, what could go wrong? They ran out of money and never dressed the ceiling correctly. They also installed a railing system on the catwalks in the tunnel that had to be removed after a person on a bike lost and arm from the sharp edge design or they pulled it out before that happened, I can't recall. Plus the tunnel is impossible to clear. It's disgusting.
Yup I remember when that happened. I believe it was an old woman and her kids or something like that. But she was crushed by one of those ceiling panels. Same thing here. I’ve been stuck sitting in those tunnels for more hours of my life than I care to remember. Laughing with the other guys in the truck about when is the next one gonna fall and crush us. I don’t work in the city anymore and I don’t care to ever go back to the city. I’ve lost hours that have added up to days that add up to weeks and months and years of my life sitting on the southeast expressway. Good riddance!
@@timothycormier3494 I wish I still had the special edition magazine that said you would whisk through the city during rush hour in a gleaming tunnel. It was a woman who was crushed , she was in her PJ's , had decided to take the ride into the airport with her husband at the last minute who was picking up a relative or friend flying into Logan late at night . A young woman was killed when a manhole cover was dislodged south bound near the end of the tunnel by a vehicle traveling well over the speed limit ( Of course nobody went the speed limit , it was fast and furious when light traffic was the case) The manhole cover flew through her windshield and took her head off . Two second either side of time and she may have not died. I guess it just wasn't our time. I wonder how much poison we all breathed sitting there?
@@rbspider that’s right! I forgot about the manhole cover. Yeah that was brutal. And yes, I can’t imagine how much break dust and exhaust fumes we’ve inhaled from sitting forever inside of those tunnels. Especially on a hot summer day when that unmistakable stink of the tunnels is at its worst. So humid that it can’t escape because the air is so wet and heavy. Yucko! Remember deciding whether or not to take the expressway or the pike. Because one of them might…possibly…maybe moving…at all. I don’t know how old you are. But if you remember back before the big dig. Before the highway was the way it is now. The southeast expressway was a whole lot worse than it is now. If you can believe that. But even today. Heading home or outbound on the expressway. Ya got the HOV lane dumping out with the RT3 people crossing over the hov people crossing over to get on 95. All in the same spot. It’s a nightmare! 😂😂😂
@@timothycormier3494 I saw Boston when Jordan Marsh would setup Santa's village, back when the Annex had the toys and record department . I sold newspapers at North station when it had the elevated orange line . Later on I worked at the phone company in the Combat zone . That phone company building was used as the HQ for the all girl Ghost Busters movie. On the bright side , brake pads are no longer made with asbestos , but I recall people saying that working in the city was like smoking two packs of cigarettes a day. I ended up with a dashcam and have images of cars traveling horizontal in front of me to cut across lanes. One night there was a roll over inside the north bound side , a child had been ejected and died. I saw cars and motorcycles go through there at over 100 mph . Fridays and Saturdays were the worst at two am. Do not miss it one bit. They also missed the chance to finally connect North and South Stations. 13 billion seems cheap these days . Since 2021 we have spent 450 billion on immigration
Just a quick note from another Bostonian, The MBTA being a useful and reliable means of transit isn't something from our grandparents childhood. It was the 2000's. The T has driven off a cliff over the last 10 years, before that I could on getting all over the place in quick order.
And a big part of the reason for this is that the Big Dig diverted funds away from the MBTA. I wish this was mentioned in the video
Nonsense
It's been a mess forever.
@@liams923no amount of funding can fix widespread corruption and incompetence.
The denser the area and the more business and people concentrate themselves into one big clusterfuck, the worse it's going to get. There are no laws preventing the cluster from happening.
Agreed. I've been using the T to get work since the late 90's. Back then it was reliable and efficient. Now it's a mess.
Fun fact! The green line extension, which cost 2 billion $ and is less than 2 years old, had to shut down because the rails were installed too wide and rather than fix it right when they found out about the issue (a year before it opened) , the T decided to ignore the problem for 2 years until trains were being slowed to under 3mph to stop trains from completely going off the tracks
Too narrow, but the rest of the comment is right.
That’s not quite true. It shuts down early at night to fix the rails, not all day as implied. And the 3mph restrictions were only in place for a few days until safety was verified.
@@quadcorelatte8217 no, it was completely shut down for something like 2 weeks this fall. The slowdowns also definitely weren’t 3 days long, every time I take it there’s numerous sections of walking speed slowdowns
This video slid over the ineptitude, sloth and corruption that are hallmarks of this and other big-city systems. The T probably sits at the top of the heap in these departments, and it shows. They enjoy an enabling legislature, an apathetic public and media that's in the pocket of politicians. It should have been totally re-structured in the image of the Japan Rail system, with infrastructure publicly owned and operations provided by for-profit private corporations. Get it out of the political arena and encourage it to run efficiently through competition. To do so will be to bring down one of the largest taxpayer funded job and money schemes in existence, so that idea will never fly. Instead it will collapse, with a pile of dirtbag hacks battling over the spoils.
I moved out of south Medford right when they finished the line. Glad to hear I’m not missing much 😂
I lived in Boston in 2017 and did not have, nor could afford to get a car. The MBTA was my only option to get to work from the lower income suburbs I was staying in. My commute took 2 hours one way, which means I was absolutely exhausted by the time I got home, and still had to make lesson plans and cook, etc. I took the Orange, Red, and Green Lines primarily. I was increasingly frustrated by the slowdowns, the closed stations, and the trains that were so packed, I had to wait for a couple to go by before finally being able to fit onto one.
Boston has the bones for a more robust transit system. I really hope they figure it out because it could be a game changer for not just low income people like myself, but for everyone.
The green line is a mess it must compete with cars at every intersection.
@@tombeegeeeye5765 The Green Line single handedly solidified my deep disdain for light rail. Is it better than nothing? Sure, but just barely. 😂
It used to be way better, and in my experience has been getting better recently. For an entire month my train only arrived on time, and to my destination on time (Red Line)
@@lmnop29 The Green Line was actually getting pretty reliable for a couple weeks just now (until the Orange Line shutdown), I was able to go from the last stop on GLX to Heath Street in an hour on a Wednesday afternoon - same amount of time as driving, and with a fraction of the stress and frustration and 0% risk of damage to my car.
Then I guess you should have bought less drugs and saved up to buy a car if the train didn't work 2:52 for you
As a former MIT student and Boston resident, this saddens me. I have fond memories of riding the T all over the place, and being able to explore the Boston area without a car (as I was not licensed to drive). The T was one of those things that really made me thankful to be attending college in Boston. I certainly hope these problems can be sorted out. That subway system is a piece of American history, and it can not be allowed to just go away.
That is what keeps the cities going like a well-oiled machine.
Not licensed? Does anyone care about that these days??
@@jimalcott760 What are you asking?
@@michaelmann8800He’s not making a dig at you for not having a DL then, but rather more the awful number of unlawful “motorists” here in the present day, just being sarcastic (don’t you miss it?😉)
I lived in eastern Massachusetts from 1982 to 1996. I was a student at Northeastern University, and even after I graduated and moved to the suburbs, I regularly drove to Wellington station when I needed to go downtown. Two years ago, I visited Boston for a conference downtown, and I enjoyed riding the T to visit old familiar places, as well as to shop for items I couldn’t get at home, although I was quite disturbed at the condition of the Orange Line trains. I do not want to see the T fail.
I also love using trains to explore other cities I’ve visited, such as Washington, Chicago, San Francisco, Beijing, and others.
I speak for all people from Worcester: nothing is quite possibly as bad as being stranded in Worcester for 2 hours because you missed your train
you sound like a person who's never been stuck in the NY Port Authority bus terminal at 3am.
Jeez, and I thought we new yorkers had it bad with long time waiting in our subway system...
At it least it gives you time to practice saying Worcester. Rooster? Worsher?
Lived in Worcester for 2 years back when the commuter rail was every two hours, without a car, and I concur
@@perfectallycromulentnewark Penn station is like that too. Its a freak show at 3am
“increased physical mobility leads to increased economic mobility.” i love this, and yes it’s so true!! how can people access different rungs of work and society if they literally can’t even get there? thank you for lifting that up.
I was in Boston with no car for two years in grad school. It very much seemed like there were two Bostons, layered on top of each other and yet largely isolated from each other. If you didn’t have a car you lived a certain way and went certain places on a certain schedule. People with cars often couldn’t or wouldn’t be there because there was no parking and/or the timing wasn’t synced with the commuter rail where they might leave their car. Meanwhile people with cars lived a certain way and went certain places on a certain schedule - and without a car you either couldn’t join them at all, or the timing didn’t work with the T’s schedule/reliability. Some employers had a rule that employees had to be let off at the end of the day before the T closed. Others had parking lots. Rarely did anyone have both.
Very astute obligation.
Very true. I lived in North Quincy and worked at a law office on Tremont St., kittycorner across the street from the Park St. station. No parking anywhere near that part of downtown. Unless you pay a HUGE amount to park in a garage - IF you can even find a space. Taking the T was the only viable way to get to work on time anyway since the traffic jams on the Southern Artery and Rt.3/128 are insane in the mornings and evenings. Reliably insane. I totally understand what you mean.
This is very true, and I never thought that other cities would have it differently. I’m envious.
yep i've had people who mostly drive try to ask me, a person who mostly walks/takes the train/bus and it was pretty much impossible for us to communicate
It’s similar with Angelinos that didn’t have cars. They just use ride share apps and the subway, the latter of which lots of people don’t even know LA has
Having rode the MBTA on a regular basis, it does suck. But also it still has a rather large group of wealthy people using it and advocating for it. The D line runs through almost exclusively wealthy neighborhoods, most notably Brookline and Newton. The Red Line runs through some of the wealthiest parts of Cambridge and that's the reason why it's underground there. The MBTA is bad right now, but they're digging themselves out, the slow zones have decreased significantly in the past month with a comprehensive plan, and new rolling stock is arriving on all lines. Although expansions haven't been proposed, there is a large group of people who would advocate for them and our mayor is extremely pro transit and uses it. We just got a new general manager, heralded with fixing the terrible reliability of the Long Island Railroad. So things are looking up, and I hope they'll follow through because I still have hope.
I feel like people are just gonna ignore this but its true. And despite all the bad things you can say about it its still one of the best transit systems in the nation. I live way out in the suburbs and I never take my car farther than Riverside or Alewife, it's very convenient.
Grew up in Boston here. I left and live in NYC now. I have spent too much time over the years advocating for better transit and reliability for the city and region. For the first time, I actually do believe it's finally going in the right direction under new leadership. As much as we love to praise Baker, he horribly misread the situation and managed to worsen the MBTA in his early years. His original concept of privatizing the T, paired with not fundamentally understanding how deeply broken the system was back in 2015 (even if he was aware, he miscalculated just how bad it was), brought years of additional mismanagement, accidents, delays, poor design quality for new trains, and a staggering laundry list of repairs not being made.
Wu and Governor Healey definitely gave me hope as they knew this was a huge issue. Both have my vote to this day and since Baker left, suddenly most of the major problems his administration mishandled seem to be finally getting addressed. Its not Baker's fault entirely, he was given a system in terrible repair, but again he only tried to improve it minimally all while his appointees at the MBTA lied to everybody as to just how bad the state of the infrastructure was. Fun fact, there are multiple stations on the orange line alone that have come close to imminently collapsing but the MBTA did not want to disclose that, so they did 'quiet' repairs by shutting the stations down claiming they needed to do minor improvements when in actuality, they were emergency repairs to avoid the absolute worst. And unfortunately, Haymarket station collapse would happen, to which was mostly the T's fault and not the construction happening above...
It is a constant story where instead of the system being proactive, it's only trying to avoid the absolute worst case scenario. Trains on fire, derailments and even minor ceiling collapses are almost nothing in comparison to what situations the MBTA was keeping under wraps. I know I wrote a lot here but its years of anger all of us from the area have felt about the T. I hope that the repairs continue to happen, I hope the state releases the 'big dig' debt that was tacked onto the MBTA, I hope the state votes to give additional funding to bring it to a state of good repair + that one day, we can finally get a real proper ring line around the core of Boston and Cambridge. Additional NSRL needs to happen, electrification of the CR (pollution levels of diesel, along with their noise, has caused health defects to residents living near these lines) to improve reliability, speed and higher frequencies. So much that needs to happen and we need to be serious about making those investments for the future.
@@kaicandoit this was amazing to read, darn good comment. I worked on parts of the OL tunnels doing inspection work almost 2 years ago and got to see first hand how inefficient things were run, before the new GM entered the picture
@@duncanmcauley9450 I work in Architecture & CM and have heard insane stories about those tunnels. Had a friend who had to analyze the conditions of Chinatown station a few years back which I'm sure you've heard or seen what the condition of those support beams/columns were like prior to the emergency repair.
@@SaxPanther"best transit systems in the country" -- have you actually been anywhere? It is BY FAR THE WORST
Living in the DC area, it's been nice to see what the WMATA has been doing. The setback of the 7000 series a few years ago didn't help, but it's nice that most lines have 6 minute service. When this helps create near 3 minute service in downtown. It will be nice whenever the Purple Line gets finished because the group of Bethesda to Silver Spring to College Park is currently a terrible option. It's probably 45 minutes to go from Silver Spring to Bethesda on the Red Line right now, but that will be only 2 or 3 stops of grade separated running on the Purple Line cutting out a large amount of time. Another subway line is also being planned that would hopefully be a ring going from Rosslyn to Georgetown connecting with Union Station down through National Harbor, across to Alexandria, and back up to Rosslyn. I hope they can get the funding to keep pushing in the right direction.
If only they could extend Branch (green) down closer to me...a hour drive north to get to a train is still not great. (I would have explored more of DC by now if it was easier to get there...never driving in DC ever again...once made Florida drivers look polite)
They need to do a new program at exactly how effective public transportation is throughout the DC region. One could have the ability to catch public transportation from as far away as West Virginia and into the Diamond of DC. It goes equally as far in Maryland and Virginia.
I was a student in Boston (early 2000s) and now live in Paris. Can confirm what was said about the Paris metro network, but we also have a really good bus system that fills in the gaps between the metro stations. I've been here for three years and have NEVER needed a car. The commuter rail goes to the airports, the rail stations service the regional trains, and plenty of delivery services exist if you want someone to bring a couch home for you from Ikea. In addition, bike share is incredibly popular with our plentiful new bike lanes, and taxis are available in a pinch.
I DONT CARE WHY WOULD I, MY CONTENT IS SUPERIOR
I DONT CARE WHY WOULD I, MY CONTENT IS SUPERIOR
I DONT CARE WHY WOULD I, MY CONTENT IS SUPERIOR
to add to this, the (network manager? i don't know the english name, but IDFM) also finances the car pooling system.
i stopped physically using the subway/tram/bus lines in favor of car pooling as my commuter pass also pays for the car trip. much faster, more comfortable, but for the same price as public transports.. aka using the already traveling cars for commuting and reducing the load of current public transports.
and to avoid abuse, this is only for suburb to suburb or Paris to suburbs, not paris - paris system
Wesh mgl
As a Bostonian who takes the T almost every day, yes, it is seriously in bad shape, although extremely necessary for Boston citizens!
DIDNT ASK + MY ANIMATIONS ARE BETTER
DIDNT ASK + MY ANIMATIONS ARE BETTER
DIDNT ASK + MY ANIMATIONS ARE BETTER ASK + MY ANIMATIONS ARE BETTER ASK + MY ANIMATIONS ARE BETTER ASK + MY ANIMATIONS ARE BETTER
@OFFICERJIMMYUTTP I don't get it, what is your grift? To hope that some people who check to see if your videos indeed have been stolen by Wendover to actually click on your unrelated videos?
@@HelperUTTPbut do you play tag across Europe?
Living in Boston for 8 years. My previous apartment was right at a green line stop when I was a college student. I always walked to school instead of using subway, simply because walking takes about 15min and the subway takes about 10min plus the unpredictable waiting time... Another reason I avoided taking subway was safety issue - I witnessed several off-rail accidents from my balcony lol. I love Boston for how historical and beautiful it is - except for its public transportation system.
Well, the city has been run by liberal idiots for 100 years and it’s full of spoiled college kids that move in and drive our rent up
I work at an indie theatre in Boston. Annually, there's a production of a musical about how bad the MBTA is. It follows three people just trying to get home on the train, but the T's management conspires to ruin their commutes home. This is how bad the subway is in Boston.
Where and when can I see this show? And what is it called?
@@B-rock-bragait’s called T: An MBTA Musical. It ended last month. It was okay.
A script that would really help the people would have it as the governor and state rep trying to ruin the people's commutes, because thats the reality of the control over the subway
Was this the one in Porter? I remembered seeing some posters of it up there
not really a musical, more like a documentary of the democrats destroying the city
Although I am frustrated with the state of the T, I'm glad it exist. I recently moved to Boston from Indianapolis, which has no local rail system, and barely has a bus system. I am unable to drive, so having the rail option was a huge game changer. Although I'm apriciative of the opportunity it's opened for me, it's also highly frustrating. The commute to my first job here was 3 hours due to it being in Weymouth, and me living in Dorchester (still beats walking). I was eventually able to find something closer, but still have a long, hour and a half commute.
yeah, wait until people find out about the part where the State of Indiana outright banned Light Rail Transit from being built in the state (2014), that'll be a fun one too.
Indianapolis’ public transit is the worst in America for city size -lifelong resident
3 hours is wild. I understand you're new to the area and it's an improvement from back home. I am from Weymouth and I hate the T because of how long it takes to get to Boston compared to a 20 minute drive
I'm from Weymouth and have no clue what u and the other guy from Weymouth in this thread are talking about. I havent lived there in a few years but when I did I would just get on the redline in Braintree and I'd be in Boston within 30 minutes. The other dude says he'd rather take the 20 minute drive but it's only a 20 minute drive at like absurd hours. Basically from 4am till 1am it's at least an hour drive with the traffic
Right?! There's no possible way it would take 3 hours.. I'm confused..or maybe they were.
I live in Southcoast Massachusetts and the only reason I make the drive to Braintree to take the T is because driving into Boston is a nightmare. I have a commuter rail station very close to me but its schedule usually doesn't line up for when i'd need to take it. Generally, I just try to avoid going to Boston.
I live in New Bedford. The new train will be operational in a couple of months.
It’s shocking to see such a critical piece of infrastructure suffer so much neglect for so long
That’s all of America.
As a Boston-area resident, no it's not. Go into most major city in the US and look at the underside of your typical highway overpass. Chances are you'll see one heck of a lot of rust.
this is the result of big government. what wendover didn't discuss is how the politicians then use these struggles as political weapons against their opponents come election year. this creates a perverse incentive to not actually solve the problems because if you can't blame the other guy for something, you have a lower chance of being elected.
He said to him "'You shall love the Lord your god with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it : 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'
in the 90's and 2000's, the T was pretty good
I live in Boston on the orange line, and they replaced all the old trains with new cars, the most modern and comfortable in Boston now. But they are going so slow in some places that you can outwalk the train. It’s insane! Appreciate a lot for covering the entire video to the problem of our city. Hope some politicians will watch this too.
Same here i hadnt used public transportation in a while but had 2 use the orange line 2 weeks ago for Jury duty. I was surprised the orange lane had all their cars updated but my god some of the stops the train literally went like A TURTLE, i had no idea this was a common occurrence....
As a child I grew up in Boston and know the subway system like the back of my hand. Before the current orange line position it was elevated. It was ugly but seemed to be far more reliable at 75 years old than the current branch which is only 36 yrs old.
does the new orange like still have that dumb fabric "anti-grafitti" seats? I remember when those first started appearing and people worrying about wet spots being unseen. At least with NYC trains, you can se the puddle of water/soda/urine on the seat before sitting on it.
@@twistedlittlepuppythey are like orange plastic seat, so very easy to see if they are dirty, but they are still pretty comfortable
That Community College to Assembly stretch used to be brutal, but there has been improvement thankfully.
“most dangerous train in america” *thumbnail being the train i take everyday for work*
Remember when they said that Longfellow Bridge was LITERALLY on the verge of collapsing into the Charles River if not for the emergency rebuilding?
Me but for school 🥴
I took the Boston subway once after a red Sox game. I didn't know you could fit that many people on a subway. You were on a molecular level of closeness with people
Kind of a different meaning for these lyrics:
"Hands, touching hands...
Reaching out, touching me, touching you"
Depending on what time and which season you're in as well as which line you're riding, you can definitely find out how it feels to be "packed like sardines in a can" 🤣
Everyone knows that going out of Boston on the Red Line, once you get past Downtown Crossing and South Station going southbound, you can claim a seat somewhere on the car. Likewise happens after Copley / Prudential on the Green Line going outbound, and most definitely an empty car after North Station. Same thing happens at Haymarket stop on the Orange Line as well as around Ruggles station.
Sometimes... its just faster walking from Ruggles over to Longwood Medical Center 😐
Going Outbound towards Kendall square on the Green Line before a Sox game is to test your faith in other people's hygiene
I guess you've never seen the New York subway at rush hour! (Been there, done that -- if the passengers in the Boston subway are "on a molecular level of closeness", then the Flushing line (7 train) in New York at morning rush hour can only be described as having a neutron-star level of density!)
@@agentorange153And it reeks of garlic!
15:54 important thing to note. People make such a big deal about "revenue shortfalls" for operating a transit system. yet roads by and large make approximately.... 0% of their costs both construction and operating. yet no one says we shouldn't build more roads, increase funding for it or can't find the funding for repairs
Holy crap I never though about that lol. That's a great point.
No. While I agree with your sentiment, roads do pay for themselves multiple times over. This is because they allow for the economy to function, allowing for the transport of goods and people, which will both make money. That money will go toward taxes, which will go toward the roads.
Who do you think rides the subway, parrots? Public transit is also far less detrimental to the environment and reduces pollution (and this, the burden on the healthcare system and also each individual's contribution to climate change) in urban centers. Just because they aren't also used for cargo doesn't mean they don't save money, genius.
Private cars need to be abandoned unless you want climate change to kill a significant fraction of the planet's population or cause a significant influx of immigrants who are trying to escape starvation.
@@justinwatson1510 please re-read my comment, as that was not the point I was making.
As a Bostonian who was on an MBTA train that broke down yesterday, I appreciate this video.
Calling Boston "almost european" is both the greatest insult and the greatest compliment you can give a city in the US on it's transportation network and city design - it's the recipient who chooses...
@QemeH if Boston was European no one would be against more transit since it wouldn't act like a garbage highway
Almost European is somewhat accurate, but boston is very much more American car centricism than anything else. More European is only a positive saying. What on earth is there to be proud of from the usa that isn't thanks to Europe? Lmao
It wasn't "almost", there were a dozen black people in Boston in 1960s.
@churblefurbles Europe has black people, and had had black people for a long time, and a larger population than that at that time period. Today around 18% of France is black. Places being completely white are soley an American thing. Race was never even a thing of discussion in Europe, class and ethnicity played a much larger role, meaning there was never an attempt to stop certain races from being apart of the culture. Don't get me wrong there's plenty of supremacy, but it's not race focused, well at least it wasn't for most. The 3d Reich was unique for its ridiculously irregular way of viewing society, blaming issues on race.
that is in no way an insult
Bostonian transit advocate here:
This video is generally very good. The one bone I have to pick with the narrative painted is the idea that that, "line shutdowns don't help slow zones." The reason there have been more slow zones despite the line shutdowns to fix slow zones is that the MBTA *didn't know* where these slow zones were before. Ever since the derailments & the initial "panic slow zones" the MBTA has been running the geometry car (as Phill Eng calls it) far more often to analyze the tracks and find the deficiencies. Because of this, even though the MBTA is repairing track far faster than they have in recent past, more slow zones are cropping up because we're actually paying attention now.
Barring that I appreciate the dive into our transit issues, which direly need to be fixed for Boston to continue to be a good city into the future.
I am in full agreement with this as well. It feels this way because we, advocates, and them, the T, are paying more attention than ever before to the detail. I also think that with ridership, it's not a fair analysis since a lot of potential ridership was not there being counted resulting from shutdowns and shuttle service replacement. I am more hopeful for our system even with all of these troubles.
My other issue with the video was when he criticized the T for only making back 45% of its costs, deeming it not profitable. Conversely, highways and other car infrastructure are far from profitable as well because there is tons of maintenance that goes into them.
Exactly, that was the problem; the previous long-term head of the MBTA had basically been just not allowing workers enough time to properly check all of the track, so a lot of damage wasn’t even recorded
In 5 years should they have been able to lay 7 miles of track from quincy to south station? Just wondering if youre accepting of regression or just unaware of it.
@@GeneralLiuofBoston1911Its 22 minutes between mostly empty red line trains on the middle of the day. The numbers dont lie, unless youre on the green and arent noticing because of the economic disparity within the mbta, and not just the commuter rail.
I was born and raised in Boston and have lived in Abington for the past 3 years and let me tell you, there is a major difference between taking the commuter rail when compared to the subway. its way more reliable, on time and comfortable. The sucky part is when they do the shuttle busses on weekends from Braintree to South station. I still work on weekends but during the week, it's practically golden. Can't say the same for the orange line.
As a lifelong Bay Stater, regular Red Line/T rider, occasional commuter rail rider, and fan of your channel, I’m happy that you’re doing a video on my city! One issue that’s really bad I’m surprised that you didn’t cover is the lack of frequency of trains (particularly on the Red Line). Even during rush hour, the Red Line trains only arrive every 15-20 mins (assuming you’re riding past JFK/UMass). Just this morning, I just missed the train by 30 secs and waited on the platform for 17 mins in freezing weather. Thankfully I use an app that tracks the trains, so it’s not as bad of an issue especially in the evening. But it’s absolutely unacceptable that you have to wait that long for a train going into and out of Boston during rush hour (and forget about using it during the weekend)!
Even the new trains have an issue, where the button for the emergency call box is too big so people will accidentally press it and that means we stop at the station for a few mins as they investigate it. That happened to me twice on one ride! With all that being said, I will say the slow zones have gotten better at least on the red line and you’re definitely right about the commuter rail being great (although it can still be delayed sometimes).
At one point it used to be almost an hour to go from Downtown Boston to Quincy then it was 30 mins, but now it’s about 20 mins. I’ll probably still use the train for the foreseeable future, since my building is right across the street from the station and parking and traffic are terrible. Just thank heavens for hybrid work, as I only have to go into the office 3 days per week and couldn’t imagine doing 5! Apologies for the long comment, but I just feel very passionately about this. Thank you for covering this and keep up the good work!
If you think waiting 17 minutes is horrific, try living in western Massachusetts!!! Bostonians are such spoiled wimps!!! All the funding & you're STILL full of complaints!!!
JFK to Braintree was over an hour until about a month ago
It would be nice if they'd fix the rails between NQ & Wolly station. They've worked on them overnight (delightful) many times over the past year and the trains still limp between both stations, vibrating the hell out of my house. It's literally sinking. Won't even start on the Comm Rail with a single track south of NQ. Disaster waiting to happen.
No one from Massachusetts has ever called themself a "Bay Stater". The word is Masshole.
One of the most underrated issues with the MBTA that exasperates the train frequency issue is the fact that each line runs entirely incompatible rolling stock. Even if there is an outage on one line, you can't just use the trains from that line to increase service on other lines. Procurement is also multiple times harder with the different specs.
Totally agree with the "halfway" commentary. But I would go further to say America does the "bare minimum" on our infrastructure. The disaster of the MBTA is a perfect example of what happens when state politicians and the governor (Charlie Baker in this case) does the bare minimum to improve the system over decades. And now, we're paying for it with our time, money, and sanity 😩
The "bare minimum" standard doesn't just apply to transit. It is pretty much all of our infrastructure and it is only going to get worse. We've spent the last half a century (well, longer) building up sprawling cities with absolutely no plan on how we would maintain the infrastructure that was needed for those cities to function. That would be a problem for future us to figure out. Well, we are future us, and apparently we aren't doing a very good job of figuring it out, because the answer, it turns out, was to not build entire cities with no plan to maintain them long term.
Baker was only governor for 8 years. The state tends to alternate between pro-MBTA and anti-MBTA governors pretty regularly.
Idk if it's actually American culture, but more like the commonality of democracy and authoritarian regime
@@HenryElfin I'm not even sure what you're trying to say there, but clearly most European democracies manage their transit systems and pretty well, and this even applies to the rest of the infrastructure to some degree.
@@smileyeagle1021 Suburbs kind of shovel their own financial grave. They are often built with federal subsidies with an infrastructure almost like a city, but actually only provide housing for a more rural kind of density. Then 20-30 years later when significant parts of that infrastructure start to rot and need replacing (but this time without the federal subsidies), a lot of those suburbs discover they just can't sustain that infrastructure on the tax payer base they have and go bankrupt. With the exception of areas that are full of really wealthy people, you can't have your cake and eat it - by which I mean, have city infrastructure on rural density.
Incredibly informative -- thank you!
Fun fact! The Ts incompetence extends to its hiring process too, someone on Reddit applied to be a bus driver (which their desperate for and are quite literally begging for people to apply to be) and the hiring process spanned multiple MONTHS and involved a medical check where he went in, got told to sit in a room and wait for the doctor, and then was quite literally completely forgotten about (he asked the nurses when he got frustrated and left, and they straight up forgot he was in there) for over 5 hours
Well they clearly arent that smart if they sat there for FIVE HOURS and didn't even go out once before that lmao
Can't say I'm surprised -- their incompetence is at EVERY level
Its hard to believe a medical place can sign in someone and forget about them. That's highly unlikely.
@@matthewjbauer1990 You haven't met a Boston doctor
Nothing you actually stated reflects poorly on them. It took 2 months of interviews to get my job, it happens. Requiring a medical check when it's noted that a lack of medical checks caused your staff to crash a train isn't an issue. Being forgotten at the doctor is a problem with the doctor. Not getting up and saying something for 5 hours says they aren't smart enough for the job in the first place. Believing someone on Reddit at full face value says you wouldn't be smart enough for the job either.
I was a daily green line commuter for the past 7 years (even through the pandemic) and just moved to a suburban town with a commuter rail station. The difference is night and day. My commute actually got shorter despite being 5x farther away. The biggest downside is they only runs trains once every 2 hours on the weekend and service stops at 11PM.
I hate that weekdays have a later train to Providence than weekends
Took me a few weeks to figure out that walking is faster than trying to actually get anywhere using the Green Line.
I don't miss the commuter rail at all. Especially the Bruins and Celtics games!! Ugh. Five hundred loud, drunken, obnoxious sports fans packed in with you when you were going home. I lived in Gloucester and used to commute to MGH. I guess it depends on what line you used but the Rockport/Newburyport line is overrun with sports fans from TD Garden at North Station.
As a native New Yorker, I see that your forum about the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, the first subway in America, is great. Thank you for your forum because it is the best and a blessing to railroad buffs like me.
I live in Lowell. The MBTA definitely has problems that need to be addressed, and it continues to be a big topic in our state. However, I will say that the most dangerous rapid transit system in the USA is still far safer than getting behind the wheel of a car. The MBTA is rough, but it's what we got. And I'm grateful for it despite its issues.
Hi. I’m from the UK. I know where your city is. It’s very charming. I used to pass through on my way into North Station. I was on vacation for five days, staying in Tewksbury, and used to take the train from Lowell.
@@Teifi71 I’m glad you liked it! It is quite quaint. A lot of our infrastructure was modeled after Manchester, England
It's definitely safer than getting behind the wheel in Massachusetts. That's why they make you wear a seatbelt there.
@@BN3140 Hi again. You’ll know where it is. I was visiting Lowell in July 1999. I got the surprise of. my life in Lowell. I was travelling back from Boston on the train. A Greek American woman sat down beside me. I explained to her, I’d travelled around the US. You know the bus from the train station into Lowell? The woman gave me a hug right on the middle of a Lowell street. I was given the wrong information at North Station. I was told take the train to Billerica. I was told there was public transport. I’ve never forgotten a very kind lady who got off the train. She drove me all the way to Tewksbury to my hotel. I’d flown across the Atlantic Ocean from London. A middle aged woman out of nowhere. When she offered me the ride in the parking lot. I raised my hands right up in the air. I said you really don’t have to do this. She said, “I’m not an axe murderer ya know.” I did see the funny side 0f it. There wasn’t any public transport at Billerica. Friends were expecting me in Massachusetts. They didn’t have a clue what time of day I’d arrive, The All Stats Baseball Weekend was in Boston. I had no idea what it was, I couldn’t get accommodation anywhere in Boston. There was a guy at Logan who arranged my hotel in Tewksbury. I know who was born where you live. The Hollywood actress Bette Davies. Where you live, it’s kind of similar to the UK.
I did like Lowell very much. I only passed through it only for three days. I think you headed left outside the train station. I’ve used the subway in Boston. I took it over to Harvard Yard. It’s a truly delightful part of the United States you live in. I rented a bike on Boston Common. Massachusetts is gorgeous. Friends took me out over the weekend. On the Monday, I had to find my way around on MBTA. I was quite surprised at the hotel in Tewksbury. The staff asked where had I been to. I had to depend on the MBTA to get into Boston. Back in 99, it seemed to be very reliable.
South Boston resident here. Figured I’d touch on some points mentioned in the video.
Safety: I hadn’t realized we were the most dangerous transit system in the US because the frequency is desensitizing. Last incident I can recall was last year when an orange line train caught fire, on a bridge over water.
Speed: People regularly report out walking the green line(I myself did it last month while visiting). Delays are frequent and service infrequent. Only line that seems to be acceptable on this front is the Blue line which is of little use to the average Bostonian who doesn’t live by the line unless you wanna go to the aquarium.
Access: You mention how most of the T’s ridership is poor and reliant, but growing up in the low income neighborhood I did, most people take the bus because they’d have to drive to the nearest subway station. The bus schedule can also be infrequent and they themselves are slow(these streets aren’t made for big cars, let alone buses).
Driving: Driving in Boston is so unpleasant(roads wind, lanes are skinny, streets intersect at weird angles, or intersect with too many other roads and exit ramps creating overcomplicated intersections) that it’s a damning indictment that people would prefer that to taking the T.
The problems are clear and it’s frustrating seeing the decline continue because of a lack of funding. I know, at least in the city, that people want this. Boston is an incredibly walkable city and a good transit system would be transformative for the city, and I think the could set a standard for urbanism in the US if done correctly. The video is right that more lines connecting areas outside the downtown would go a long way.
Now I'm not saying it's safe: there's too much broken stuff, deferred maintenance, and staff turn over. **BUT** The "Most Dangerous" angle is hyperbole. The MBTA has had one (non-suicide) passenger fatality in nearly a century (the recent Red line death). Compared to WMATA, MTA, etc, that's amazing. Compared to driving, it's beyond flawless. Although it's a bit like our driving record. Low number of fatalities but tons of little bumps and bruises.
Our main problem is that we're Yankee cheapskates and don't want to pay to do it right until we have no other choice. The Big Dig only happened because the Fed picked up 95% of the tab.
One time I walked out of Boylston because the next train to Riverside was delayed for 11 minutes and I had to make it to work. It's getting increasingly worse by the day.
@@freemandrewFatalities aren't the only way to measure danger. Passengers aren't the only ones in danger. Just this Wednesday there was (another) near miss with a worker and electricity.
Blue Line of little use to Bostonians.... Yes, that may be true to Boston residents for the East Boston/Orient Heights neighborhood but you forget about the other communities outside of the city. The Blue Line is a major line for Revere and Chelsea residents, and soon, there will be more as Suffolk Downs project begins to open (first building opens in early 2024).
Yes, while working people w/o cars have always depended on it, plenty of people who could afford otherwise relied upon it daily also and as you said.
You should do an update on this video! Phil Eng has fixed nearly all the problems with the MBTA in the year since this video was posted
I am actually visiting my buddy in Worcester while visiting Boston from Philly. Got a kick out of the video when you mentioned the schedule. So awesome that I can get on a train in the Philly suburbs and get all the way there by train. Wish more of the US was like that.
I a resident of Ohio, envy the rail systems that are publicly accessible and usable in New England
I love living in philly. it's far from the best system, but it works really well
@@adnamamediayea, it def does. Trains, trolly, bus, regional rail, Amtrak, nj transit. I live in South Jersey but can easily leave my car 5 mins from my house and get from Boston to DC by rail. I wish more people embraced it.
No way im in worcester rn i live here wsg
I have to give New Englanders credit for their rail. Even Northern New England (Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont) are increasing commuter and passenger rail, not as much as Southern New England (Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island). Connecticut is trying to get commuter rail from Danbury to New Milford, Waterbury to Hartford, Middletown to Hartford and the New England Central line from New London to Brattleboro Vermont. Also, Shore Line East service to Westerly, Rhode Island - with a connection to the MBTA.
Getting from Cambridge to Winter Hill is taking a Red Line to Davis and then taking one of the frequent buses or a short walk. MBTA buses are under rated.
It depends on the bus. A lot of major bus lines (1, 77, etc) are seriously hindered by traffic, leading to bunching. Some lines (e.g., the 89) could be great and are extremely useful but have been deprioritized for Reasons.
The only solace with Boston's transit, is that Logan Airport is a legit T stop. Other cities, you have to travel well outside the limits to get to the airport. You can take the Blue Line or the Silver Line, to get to where you need to go from Boston's airport. The Silver Line goes to South Station, which is also the terminus for the Acela.
Philadelphia, where I nowl live, is another city where one can go from downtown to the airport on one train.
I believe a subway line travels between the Philadelphia Airport and the city?
The Silver Line was because it was cheaper than building a fourth harbour tunnel (for Commuter Rail), and so folks could go Boston airport to Worcester airport. Personally I say have the Blue Line go past Charles MGH goto Kendall Square at the junction of Main Street and Vassar (which is where the proposed Urban Ring to Allston/Assembly Row is supposed to go) That way folks from airport could take that line take the urban ring to the proposed station near WGBH get off and take commuter rail to Worcester if they want Worcester Airport.
Cheapest and most convenient city to airport commute I've ever taken
Another issue is the crazy high cost for infrastructure construction and maintenance in the U.S. Building a new mile of subway or light rail line often costs 5 times as much as it does in even the wealthiest European nations in similar urban contexts. This applies to other (non-transit) infrastructure as well. Not sure where all this money goes. Would be interesting to see a video on the reasons behind that at some point!
NIMBY lawsuits, and extraneous fluff like DEI and ESG consultants, plus the ridiculous amount of management overhead that rots most US companies and govt agencies, figure 7-10 layers of management for every non-managerial role. UK has the same issue.
No in-house planning, design, and construction management staff so everything is contracted out to consultants. Like with the actual construction it's contractors all the way down!
Its all government corruption. Not a mystery. Why else do you think the Democrat run California "high speed rail" project has somehow spent billions yet nothing is built yet?
Unions
A lot of it is flat stolen by contractors doing cheaper, substandard work than they billed for, and disappearing once the flaws are found out. What happened to DC's Silver Line, anyway.
Another classic of the genre is bid $1billion, get halfway done, go back to the state and say if you don't get another $2billion, you're walking off the job with a half built line no one can use, DC Purple Line.
These remastered videos of old Boston are incredible. It's looks unreal how real it looks
cos they are real...?
As someone who currently commutes 2-hours into Boston every morning at the mercy of the MBTA, I thank you for showcasing our crumbling public transit system. I will say while the commuter rail is nice, its very expensive if you live in the outer zones. I can't afford $22 a day or hundreds for a month pass when I can drive my car and take the T for far less. The safety issues 100% drive away those who can make the choice to drive. I have a friend who was on the Orange line train that caught fire in 2022. She hasn't ridden the T since and drives into the city every day. I can't wait to move.
Back when the DC Metro's ring line (Purple) was being developed I was living near its initial Western terminus in Bethesda, MD. The pushback it got from NIMBYs was infuriating. They refused to even consider the line's importance because they were worried it would affect property values.
You mean the Purple Line? SV line goes to Dulles in VA. Also the Purple Line is a MDOT project, no association with WMATA.
@@simonignatovsky8445 Derp, yeah, Purple. You can pay with a SmarTrip card and do transfers like with buses, right?
I don't understand how a train line connecting the suburbs to each other could be seen as doing anything other than *IMPROVING* property values. In the Philadelphia suburbs being near a regional rail stop *inflates* property value, and going between suburbs means you wouldn't even have the more insidious "keeping the poors away" angle of opposing it.
Baffling.
@@cloudkittits not even like the area would be upzoned, tons of new upzoned transit hub areas only demolish strip malls and 1/2 streets into the suburb
which is good imo, eventually all the most unique suburban architecture (not the cookiecutters, the more unique 60s, 70s, and 80s buildings like office parks and shed style architecture
When I visited DC somewhat recently I stayed in Bethesda specifically because the metro was right there. Wouldn’t have stayed in a hotel there and visited their stores if it wasn’t for the metro
I'm from Boston and extremely passionate about public transportation. This is the video I wish I had the time and skill to make. Great job!!
I remember when a lot of the MBTA horrors happened. From burning trains to the dragging death to brake failures, safety always comes last. On top of that, riders have no say in the system, which has made people feel hopeless, distrustful, and angry. I hope the city I love can someday have the safe and accessible transportation we deserve.
As someone from a suburb west of Boston, I can confirm that taking the train from Riverside Station on the Green Line is like moving at the pace of MOLASSES. It's been this slow forever! Driving to downtown Boston is faster, but parking is IMPOSSIBLE, especially near Fenway Park. That's the only reason anyone bothers with the Green Line.
21:28 As someone who grew up in Lynn, I have to point out that there has been a very strong desire to bring the Blue Line (a subway line) to the city, but it is apparently prohibitively expensive and never gains traction. In fact, the garage at Lynn commuter rail station was originally intended to support a Blue Line stop, which is why it is so much larger than the parking at neighboring stations such as Melrose and Swampscott. Most of my life, when going into Boston I would drive to Wonderland Station in Revere (the northern terminus of the Blue Line) and take the subway, instead of using the commuter rail, which doesn't run frequently enough. Also, Thomas McGee is no longer the mayor, it has been Jared Nicholson for over a year now 😆
lol nice correction
Also a note on that part of the video, Quincy is most certainly not commuter rail-oriented. It has four red line stops with strong ridership (including two recently renovated) and only one commuter rail connection with infrequent service. The Quincy Center commuter rail platform is the last thing on Mayor Koch’s mind 😆
Lynn Lynn the city of sin! Love that city. Lived there for 26 years and I miss it
The blue line was initially planned to go all of the way up to salem, much like the red line was supposed to reach reach arlington. Both ended up being shut down by NIMBYs who didn't want undesirables in their towns, now only some of who are realizing their mistakes...
How much tax revenue does the gov take in and how much would the plan cost over what period of time? Let's give context to "prohibitively" expensive. I am at the point of not caring about cost. I pay taxes to this screwed up gov regardless and I will never see that money again. I say build it, cost be damned. We spent $10 trillion dollars on our war of terror we can afford a bit of modern infrastructure.
It’s definitely true that the benefits of public transport are under-appreciated in the US. Awesome public transport is truly life-changing. I’m from Switzerland, but have lived in Boston/Cambridge for most of the past 17 years. I went back for a year in Zurich, and didn’t need to have a car - with a young child. It was exhilarating to be able to go anywhere almost door-to-door and just roll the stroller onto the train/tram/bus. Some trains even have small playgrounds in them! And it’s wonderful not having to worry about whether or not I will be late, to have time back while somebody else does the driving, and to be able to have that extra glass of wine if I want. (Oh, and my unlimited all-of-Switzerland public transport pass cost less than my parking in Boston!) People don’t even know what they’re missing.
Trust me they are. But the voices in US are too divided currently to do anything. The big oil lobbying group does not wants any public transit because they want to keep oil demand pretty high in this nation
I’m fucking jealous. The American suburbs mean you’re stuck in your neighborhood, whixh is generally a good desert
But, surprisingly, most people in Boston would actually boast about the city's public transit. That's because they've traveled SO little. Years back, while standing on a Blue Line platform and seeing the condition of the cars that pulled into the station, I texted a member of the Mass. General Court (assembly), exclaiming that it looked like a train system in a 3rd world country. I'd been trying to meet with him to have him talk to whomever necessary about a means for providing the transit aims of the GLX (~$2.2B) for a $1B less. I'd already showed it to him via email, and HE KNEW I WAS RIGHT, but he didn't want to upset the political/bureaucratic/construction$ 'applecart'.
@@d1g1tvl-0hretor1c That's actually not true due to recent immigration. Seeing black people here in Switzerland has become a pretty common sight these days, though it's obviously nowhere near the level it is in the US.
@seb_617 I just visited Zurich and many places in Switzerland. I agree with you 100% about Switzerland’s excellent public transportation system.
6:30 I was the one who called 911 on April 10th, when the train doors on broadway malfunctioned and clamped shut on a mans arm and started to move. to my knowledge I was the only one who actually saw him. I was trying to help him since the doors typically always open.
I still have nightmares about it. Have spent an ungodly amount of money on ubers.
also the red line, where it happened is the only train station that goes directly to my college. its also the closest train station to me. so my 20-25min commute (on a good day) turned into 1-2hrs.
As an American it's so embarrassing how willfully outdated or the lack there of public transportation options we have in this country. Don't get me started on the rest of the infrastructure that is crumbling as we speak with no plans or money to fix.
Same in Germany, we have plenty train track dating back 100 years
Anything is Europe is better than this.I can't wait to visit to see it for myself.
@@FaySmash and yet any Public transport from 1970 Germany is probably still miles ahead than US 2023.
@@blackfoxstudioX to be faie, Public transport from 1970 Germany is also kilometres ahead of 2023 Germany
@@FaySmash fair point.
This video neglected to mention the North-South Rail Link, which is *the* missing piece to fully take advantage of the commuter rail system. The South and West routes all go to South Station, and are completely unconnected to the North routes out of North Station. Once that is built, much of the commuter rail system could be used in a pinch as a backup to the subway system, which could greatly help the T do needed upgrades on the various lines.
For example, the Orange Line almost perfectly parallels Commuter rail routes, so if they were connected, the OL could be shut down entirely with minimal impact, while it is upgraded.
This has been the ‘missing link’ since the beginning and should be the first priority.
NSL and some sort of ring should be the highest priorities
@@stephenlight647 The most frustrating part is that Boston was going to build it about a century ago. They were working on the financing… in 1929. Oops.
Remember when they told us this would be part of the big dig? LMAO.
The Link isn’t going to happen, there used to be buses instead which is more reasonable, the problem with those is there isn’t really parking/loading for them on Atlantic Ave. because the right lane is for turns onto Summer St. There are however three other options; taxi, Blue Bike or walk, the cab fare is about $10-12 depending on traffic but they can’t hop on and off the x-way like they used to be able to. (Big Dig changed it). Also, it’s considered sort of a short fare for the cab driver as it’s only a mile as the crow flies but it is what it is.
Current researcher at MIT here. My commute to work is 15 mins by car and 1 hr by subway. Love the MBTA 🙃
I moved out of Boston six years ago and I can STILL hear the ear-piercing screeching of the green line like it was yesterday.
Hahaha, mine was in 2000, and it's still clear as a (screeching) bell.
the sound of the green line screeching on decades old rail gives it such charm
Goto the Government Center *OR* Boylston station on the green line (inbound/east bound) or State Street station on the blue line (outbound/east bound) probably the loudest three I know of on the system. You can 'charm' away at train wheel sounds there.
@@DigitalIslandboy Pretty sure that comment was sarcastic, no need to get your panties in a bunch
I think the Chicago Transit Authority also deserves some respect for its public transportation infrastructure. The busses fill in the gaps between trains quite nicely
As an MBTA commuter, mostly via bus, I think it is worth mentioning two things...
1. The Blue-Red connector is currently being discussed. Yes, I know that has been going on for a while but it does look like there is some steam with this one, specifically with the possibility of closing Bowdoin Station for good to extend the station several thousand feet.
2. There is currently a plan called the MBTA Focus 40, which is something to be completed by 2040. I personally don't know much about it but I am aware that it includes making several bus routes into express busses that would act like the Urban Rings. Several of those express routes will use bus lanes that are currently being installed recently...
the connecter seems dum
Another silver line? 🤮 They need to just poney up and create more light rail, especially for an outer ring. Bring back the A line.
@@mwl5 they shouldnt bring back the a line while cutting it was bad idea bringing back costs a lot better uses of money
the fact that the London Underground, with it's ancient tunnels and trains, has significantly less issues even with TfL's money issues, shows that this really is an issue of Boston not solving the problems in time. Also that map of the Underground you showed at 10:05 is literally over a decade out of date.
Didn’t we kick you guys out of boston?
nearly all inner-city train systems in Europe were established several decades before the US started building theirs, and all of the European systems work many times better than any kind of commuter system in the US. It's a matter of how the public transport is perceived. In Europe, public transport is generally something we see as required for society to function, while in the US there's an overwhelming belief it's something for the poor who can't afford a car, and thus the ones who can do something to improve it, refuses
when i saw that part again after you pointed it out i got furious because the DLR was colored Pink and the rest of the Overground wasnt there, just the East London Line
@@thesteelrodent1796Yes, it’s the impact of car culture here w/the idea of “freedom” and independence. The USA is so vast, our freeways/highways/roadways and vehicles are much bigger as well.
Sam didn't get the actual roads right either by deliberately excluding Rt9. That said, The "Boylston squeal" shows how tight/old Boston's subway is. It's almost charming; but Boston has also had over a century to fix that problem and has done nothing.
the commuter rail is incredible I use the framingham/worcester every time I go to boston.
Great video! As a former resident of Boston I've been waiting for a while to see the MBTA's problems be told to a wider audience. The new General Manager Phillip Eng has a great track record and has been making great improvements so far. One thing you didn't mention was how the MBTA bus routes theoretically help avoid the kind of in-and-out trips the radial subway necessitates. In reality, the buses are can be slow and unreliable, but their routes do a decent job of supplementing the radial subway system with circular or connecting routes.
Bostonians are pretty ride or die for the T and even if they don't like it a good majority will continue to use it. They have a lot of patience but a lot of that patience is starting to wear out after 20 years of neglect by legislature and the MBTA board of directors.
These funding issues and mismanagement problems are not just unique to Boston. The way that MARTA is run here in Atlanta is absolutely shameful. I'm sure other cities have similar issues, as well.
You show me a longtime deep-blue Democrat city & I’ll show you a f’ed up, corrupt, high-crime mess.
As an Atlanta resident, I concur.
As someone that’s familiar with both, MARTA is far better than the T. MARTA stations were built where there was better parking, the T the stations are there based on population density. Meaning Atl. more that has to be maintained that is more spread apart.
Boston also never underestimate a Massachusetts public official’s ability to screw over the Commonwealth.
@@chrisconley8583 That is very interesting to hear. A unique perspective. Thanks for the comparison.
@@chrisconley8583 It's also a much smaller system in a much less densely populated city, and its also a lot newer than the T.
I am a 15 year old high school student, meaning i can't drive. I live in Woburn and go to school in Natick. My parents dont get off work until late so they cant drive to Natick and back (40 minutes each way) so that means i have to take the T. I take the CR followed by the red line followed by a bus, and i sometimes have to walk another 2 miles after that (long story). Overall, my travel can take 2-3 hours. It's frankly unacceptable.
Bless you! Sorry to hear about that.
As a Bostonian and fan of the channel, glad to see this here! The T has suffered for years from Charlie Baker's administration. He gave the T the bare minimum, hoping to create an argument for privitization when it eventually broke down. He also famously never rode the T until he needed to for a photo op! The closures are so frustrating but what we need to catch up on deferred maintenance.
I love being able to hop on the subway or the bus to go to the doctors or the grocery store, and i dont need a car! Its great :)
MBTA - "Maybe By Tomorrow Arrival"
It goes well before Baker. The T has never put enough into upkeep and modernization (seriously, it took that long to get the GLX built?), and waaaaayyyy too much of its budget is for the pension plan. So here we are, spending billions to finally bring our transit system into the 1990s. I love where I live, and I'm rooting for the T, but it has become a farce.
My God, good and reasoned transit content outside of the transit nerd bubble.
Truly a rare sight.
On my last trip to Boston I was shocked to discover that a 50 minute walk from South Station to the concert hall was faster than both the public transit option and the rideshare option. Truly an urban planning nightmare.
The half way comment is so true. Denver is about to build a BRT line. One of the suburbs has refused to give it a lane to operate so it will function as a bus during that portion. Also they are stopping the line a relatively short distance from a college campus and a sports stadium. The whole this is so frustrating. The line will fail because we refuse to do it right. So many self inflicted wounds.
I've been to Seoul Korea quite a few times in recent years, and I ADORE their subway system. It's this really beautiful blend of chaos, loops, and radial that makes it so effective at connecting people, even if you're an hour out of the city.
Like, in Baltimore & DC, i'd never even think of taking the subway since I have my car and just drive... but I feel subways in the US in general are just, poorly designed as a "Suburbs to downtown" kinda layout, while the one in Seoul is literally, three transfers in any direction and BAM, you're where you want to be.
It does seem that most transit systems use a hub-and-spoke topology. It works great for Disney World, since their system has a natural hub (the Magic Kingdom) and spokes (hotels). But less useful for real-life commutes unless you happen to work downtown. If you live in the suburbs and work in a different part of the suburbs, it doesn't work so well.
Three transfers is a ton lol. I hope those trains are running every 3 minutes.
Baltimore's subway is particularly badly planned -- it's not even connected to the train station, you have to take the tram between there and the subway! And you know what happens to trams at rush hour -- they get hopelessly stuck in traffic!
@@notstarboard9792 they usually are. Same for Japan, although in tokyo we tend to avoid transfers as much as possible
@@agentorange153Baltimore has a subway?! I jest. I've lived in Baltimore 30 years. I'm aware that Baltimore has a subway, a sad little subway ...😢
Another Bostonian here. I live along the Green Line. Many of my friends live in Cambridge along the Red Line. We almost never visit one another - usually meeting up downtown, simply because there is no easy way back and forth between our places. As the crow flies, we aren't far at all, but the fact that we would need to take transit downtown, and then back out means that it's usually a no go. Not to mention that parking in Cambridge is the 7th level of hell.
Route 1 and 66 are your friends
Take a Blue Bike, take a Blue Bike
As an old phart that grew up on Winter Hill when , as kids , we used to ride the T all day in the 1950's for 25 cents. We could go anywhere we wanted and if you wanted to go cross town back then there was still street car service to get you there. It was eliminated and replaced with busses. If you want to get cross town then learn the bus routes to do shortcuts. Since then I have worked in much of the US and often used the cities transit systems. I was in DC when the subway first opened and as it grew I used it a lot but once again I learned bus routes to get around. Learn about all that is available. Far to often I hear the complaints about the T being slow in Boston while the morning news does a traffic report that says 74 minutes for a car ride into Boston that the next day might be 26 minutes while the South East distress way is a parking lot plus I-93 has a backup from Somerville to Wilmington.
OMG I live in Winter Hill. On Grant Street. Everything is changing so much there now. Star Market is gone and being converted to condos. Foss Park is still there but that's changed a lot too. A lot of gentrification. Leone's Pizza is still there thank God!! Was that there when you lived there? Love their pizza!!!
An amazing overview of a system that had, and still has, a great deal of potential to propel a city to success 👏
I'm always amazed of the sheer optimism North Americans have. Even facing apocalypse they will chant Kumbaya with big smiles
LOL. That is hilarious @@etbadaboum
A lot of what was mentioned in this video can be applied to Toronto, in fact the current CEO of the Toronto Transit Commission is the old head of the MBTA Rick Leary (and let's just say he is not well liked). That said just like Boston, Toronto had a period of Highway expansions plans that were ultimately axed by the Provincial Government in favour of transit expansion which included new subway lines, LRT lines, the GO Train (commuter rail) and the unbuilt GO ALRT which was like Montreals REM just back in the 80's. A lot of the expansions plans went up in smoke when Premier Bill Davis retired in 1985, and things got worse in the 90's when Premier Mike Harris cut all subsidies to transit making the TTC the least funded transit network in North America (This also put the final nail in the coffin for our old trolley buses). Just like Boston Toronto suffers from the single point of failure issue as we only really have 1 real east-west subway line (Line 2) and while Line 1 is a U-shaped route in the north-south direction most of its ridership is on the eastern "Yonge branch" so if either of these lines go down (and it happens often) it results in complete chaos. The coming of the Eglinton Crosstown (Line 5), the Ontario Line (Line 3) and the proposed extension of the Sheppard Subway (Line 4) will go a long way in alleviating this issue. That said the TTC still suffers from a lot of differed maintenance due to lack of funding from the Provincial government as the TTC needs to rely almost entirely on fare box revenue and the city to pay for things. Slow orders are also a nagging problem for our streetcar network due to the TTC having some weird operating practises.
Our commuter rail network (the GO Train) is also a bright spot for the region and is currently being electrified. That said it is a radial network with all lines converging at Union Station downtown so while its a fantastic choice if you are travelling from the suburbs into downtown, it is all but useless for suburb to suburb travel. Suburb to subrub travel in the Greater Toronto Area has always been an issue, partly due to the fact that unlike in Boston all of the transit agencies in the GTA are independent so their is little integration between them (eg no fare integration). The province is currently working on integrating all the fare structures in the GTA but I thiink expanding the GO Train network with routes like the proposed Midtown Line and a ring line around the Highway 407 corridor connecting Durham, York, a Peel regions would also make suburb to suburb travel significantly easier.
U should write a book on the subject. …… you’re already half way through it!!
you’re right in that suburb-to-suburb travel is awful in the GTA. even though there are GO bus routes that connect various locations along the 401, it is often times faster getting from the east end to the west end just taking two trains that connect at union just because of traffic. that proposed 407 route sounds wonderful though
How could you not mention the forever-delayed Eglinton Crosstown fiasco? Or Metrolinx CEOs $850k annual salary? Otherwise, I agree 100%
Was waiting to see if someone from Toronto or the GTA would comment about our situation and the parallels to Boston's situation. From someone who's been a life-long resident of Toronto and the GTA, great points and great job!
The mbta is slowly but surely getting better with Phil eng
As a former Emerson student I am still haunted by the NOISE the green line makes pulling into Boylston
the screams of the damned haunt the green line fr
that screeching is ingrained in my brain
I will say that visiting Boston last year, not long after the Orange line shutdown was done, was one of my favorite trips I’ve ever taken. Living in suburban and car-centric central Illinois, only having to drive to and from a train station in Providence every day to get to downtown was such a vacation from my everyday life. The T has its problems, yes, but the commuter rail is excellent and the subway system has good frequency, even for the non-rush hour-centric trips that we needed as tourists. Obviously transit shouldn’t be focused on that demographic, but there’s good bones to expand service and reliability in the future. And get that North-South Rail Link done.
Rapid transit from the green line is a bit of an overstatement. I go on the T when I have a lot of time on my hands and really want to soak in the atmosphere of the city, you know, kind of like the choo-choo train at Canobie lake park, but slower.
Charlie Baker the governor of the state from 2014 through 2022 unilaterally and single-handedly reallocated $300 million of funds meant for maintenance of the central subway lines to commuter rail expansion projects without any consent, oversight or guidance from another member of the Massachusetts state government or its adjacent agencies. I simply cannot fathom how this is not a felony. This is not how our government is supposed to operate in any way, shape or form.
And yet the damage and death from this subway has literally nothing on what the average highway does
Merci!
Living in Seattle, where our transit is also far too commuter focused, with ridership devastated by remote work, with maintenance problems causing massive speed restrictions and requiring shutting down whole chunks of the line to fix, all governed by a regional board that seems more interested in catering to NIMBYs than riders, it was so funny when you started talking about better networks and used stock footage of our Link.
The LINK is still 10x better than any Boston transit
@@drjustino Oh for sure. The way other US cities run their transit makes Sound Transit look like a bastion of competence and efficiency. It's just funny how we're all complaining about our trains and here's Sam showing them off as an example of good transit.
Seattle also has the triple whammy of concentrated workforces. MS people live in Redmond and Bellvue so they DON'T have to commute to the MS campus, which is why it's so insanely expensive to live in Redmond/Bellvue. Amazonians live downtown so they don't have to commute to the Amazon sites downtown, making downtown insanely expensive. Boeing people live in Everett so they don't have to deal with the commute, also Everett is a commuter community for people priced out of areas down south of it. Remember to this day, there is no light rail or commuter rail running to the MS campus in Redmond, I think LR is finally going to start up next year. With Seattle probably being the worst US city to drive in, the current situation is understandable. Seattle's long, skinny layout doesn't help either, if you're driving through there is no alternative to the eternal traffic jam on I-5.
@@mrvwbug4423 There is the 99, but of course it doesn't have any direct connection to the 90 and 520. And of course it turns into a surface street in North Seattle.
As a collage student living in Boston 2000-2005 I loved the T. No need for a car, easy to get around generally. But, I live downtown. Once I moved to Malden, took over an hour to work each way on the Orange line (forget if I took red or direct to Back Bay). To be honest I didn't mind, but glad I don't have to use it today.
WENDOVER STEALS MY VIDEOS FOR MOOLAH AND HAS MADE MILLIONS OFF MY HARD WORK! (MAKING FUN OF BOTS)
It was great up to 2019. I used pretty much every line and there were n delays and slow zones. After covid, it went downhill.
DIDNT ASK + MY ANIMATIONS ARE BETTER
DIDNT ASK + MY ANIMATIONS ARE BETTER
DIDNT ASK + MY ANIMATIONS ARE BETTER
As a person who was born and raised in the Boston Area. This video is not only accurate, but points out all the problems that commuters have with the system. It USED to be a system for the people, but now they care so little about us that its exploding from the inside. If they listened to us they wouldnt be falling apart at the seams.
1. This video hits MOST of our (Bostonian/MA resident) issues. I am glad that more youtubers are speaking on this.
2. The commuter rail trains NEEEEEEEEEDDDDDD to be upgraded. I hate looking at carts throughout the world and how completely sensible their layouts are compared to our seating arrangements. Especially post-covid, the seating on the commuter rail sucks so much. You're expected to fit as many people as possible but that also makes it a very uncomfortable ride. The only pro to their design is if you're overweight, you're not confined by the seat size but that still is a huge annoyance.
3. I badly would love for the T to go under and allow it to be state run, with an asterixis that the state ACTUALLY puts in effort. The company has made so many bad decisions since the charlie card was implemented.
As a commuter rider I agree they should be updated; however, I think funds should be focused onto the subway fixes in the meantime. The CR rolling stock still works great
What do you mean by "state run"? The MBTA is a public entity. Are you bothered by them contracting out commuter rail operations to Keolis?
@@notstarboard9792 State-run as opposed to municipal!
@@agentorange153 What change would you make to make them "state-run"? I would consider them state run already, as they are a public agency given power by the state government to do this task.
@@notstarboard9792 This is a question you should be asking @SiincereARC, not me -- but I think what he (or she) means is running the agency from Springfield instead of Boston (presumably to cut out the corruption at the local level)!
I agree with most of this video, having lived in Boston for four years. That being said, the route you made for your Winter hill residing soccer player is very doable with a bus, specifically buses I've taken to my friends' places
Exactly, almost all subways start by being cross center lines, radial lines come only very late in very large cities like Paris, Moscow etc.. This whole video is a bit half assed in a lot of aspects
I was thinking that there might be a bus to do that.
USA cities where not build for cars ~ they where demolished for cars.
As seen from the Boston example, it was dens like Europe and got removed for insterstate and parking lots.
I was in Paris for holidays this year, their metro is so amazing. You can get everywhere in the city so quickly and easily, and always be within walking distance of your destination. Even switching between trains is so effortless. I didn't need any other means of transportation during my stay.
I was in Boston this year as well and can say the same thing. I never needed a car once.
That's the issue with this video: it's more alarmist and doom and gloom than it needs to be, and focuses on a specific subset of riders. Yes, all public transportation has issues and the little bit of it that we have in America is not ideal, being that we're a car-centric country. But in all the traveling I've done, this is nowhere near the worst that I've seen. Only $2.50 to go one-way all over Boston? I'll gladly take that over the $7 one-way with limited subway lines that I have now, thanks.
0:03 boston was *BUSSIN* 🗣💯‼
AMBATUBUS 🗣🗣🗣🔥🔥🔥‼️‼️‼️
It’s crazy you posted this video at the same exact time I started my new job in Boston, I now take the commuter rail and orange line 4 days a week. The first time ever using public transportation. It’s also wild that it costs over 400$ a month for me to do that. This seems like another huge barrier for members in struggling communities around Boston to find better employment opportunities. I think one thing you missed is that people who live on the ends of the commuter lines pay the most and are also some of the lowest income communities.
wait. $400 a month! its cheaper to drive a car!
Car payment + Boston Parking + insurance and the added frustration of driving in MA make the train the better option, just barely.
im actually curious as to how youre spending $400 a month on transit. do you not own a charliecard? do you not have a commuter rail pass?
@@atl5033Zone 8 to north station is $388 a month with the zone pass. Plus a two way trip on the orange line every day. Adds up to over 400 a month. That was the point of my comment, people coming from lower income central MA actually have to pay more than the people coming from high income towns closer to the city. Charlie cards don’t make your trip cheeper, they just let you add more money on a single card.
@@atl5033 Zone pass for zone 8 is $388/month. Owning a Charley card doesn’t make the T any cheaper, it just makes paying more convenient. The point of my comment was that people from lower income areas like central MA are actually paying more than users from wealthy Boston suburbs.
Commuter Rail has significantly less ridership at face value, but those trips are also significantly longer. Then, you add that Commuter Rail users are typically over 80% choice riders(meaning they have access to an automobile), the Commuter Rail might actually be reducing more vehicle miles traveled(VMTs) than the subway. I don't disagree with the video, I'm just pointing out that it's easy to look at Commuter Rail ridership and consider it insignificant.
And why is "VMTs" significant?
If you look at it from the environmental impact then "not owning a car" is more important than "VMTs (for commuting)". Therefore people who use commuter rail but own a car are not the main focus for the environmental argument.
And if you look at it from the impact on equality then again "not having to own a car" is more important than "VMTs".
So no, I would argue Commuter rail ridership in the Boston area should be considered insignificant.
@@Jehty_VMT is the biggest contributor to CO2 emissions from transportation. Reducing it is a good thing. The Commuter Rail also has major potential to transform the eastern half of the state, if it were to be overhauled into a true regional rail service. That means more frequency, electrified trains, level platforms, etc.
@@birdrocket of course reducing VMTs is a good thing. But reducing car owner ship is much much more important. (because that also reduces VMTs and also much more other pollution)
And for the second half of your comment: how is that relevant?
OP was talking about how commuter rail is significant now. So why does it matter for the discussion that a hypothetical new system has potential?
@@Jehty_ well, there is one factor where VMT reigns supreme, and that is traffic fatalities. Yeah, the ideal when it comes to environmental impact would be not owning a car, but the next best thing is owning a car and minimizing VMT. Yeah, I can see the argument that not having to own a car is a bigger impact on equity, but the flip side of that is that every person who takes the commuter train is one less person who is at risk of hitting and killing a pedestrian in the city. For that matter, if we want to bring up equity, often times one of the most dangerous jobs in a city is being on a road crew tasked with cleaning up after a car crash, those road crews also typically aren't the best paid of workers... want to guess what doesn't happen as often as VMT is decreased?
Yeah, the ideal is making it so that owning a car truly is a luxury instead of a quasi necessity, that would have the biggest impact on the environment and equity, but to disregard the importance of VMT, especially when there is a low hanging fruit option to reduce it, is a mistake.
@@Jehty_ it’s relevant because the commuter rail is something that should not be neglected but given even more attention. Not at the expense of improvements to the downtown core, but as a supplement to it.
This is interesting to see. I was recently visiting someone in Boston, and we rode the T a lot, mostly on the green line. It was definitely slow, and the trains running express past our stop multiple times was a bit unfortunate, but to me, it didn't seem too bad. I had no idea about all these problems.
Yeah, the T definitely has its issues. But it’s mere existence already puts it ahead of the public transit systems of 99% of US cities
@@pdebuck1 Very true. We had a reliable way to get around, and without it, traveling would have been a whole lot more difficult.
Fun fact, go to any of planned interchanges of highways that were supposed to run into Boston and youll see the amputated infrastructure. There are still mysterious ramps on the lower deck, clearing where I-95 was supposed to keep going, etc.
The one that should have continued is I-95 going straight from Canton into Boston. I-93 has a natural bottleneck with little options to avoid(marshland in Milton) and has WAYYY too many cars coming from all points south, including RI, the south coast and the entire cape and islands. Even in the depths of the pandemic, youd still see traffic on I-93.
Urban NIMBYs screwing themselves by proxy because they personally don't need to drive in and out of the city. *sigh*
Oh, I can add to this...
Regarding the abandoned cloverleaf in the Canton area, the neighborhoods were bulldozed to extend I-95 directly into the city. It was then halted and what was left was abandoned land. The land eventually became the MBTA Orange Line right of way and MBTA Commuter Rail.
On I-93 just north of the Zakim Bridge, there is a little offshoot. This was suppose to be northern start of the third ring known as the I-695. It met resistance in Cambridge and was eventually shut down. On the southern side... well, because the area was more poorer, the neighborhood was demolished and cleared. The scar is still there, although it goes by a different name, Melnea Cass Blvd.
And what about the northern side of I-95. Look into the circle at Rt-1 and Squire Rd in Revere and you will see an offshoot. That was where the original I-95 should have continued and you can see the path where it would have gone through Saugus. The original path would have taken I-95 through Lynn Woods and connect to the current I-95 in Peabody. That is why I-95 makes that near 90 degree angle from I-495...
it may have gone through like it was supposed to if there was a community there that wasn't looked upon favorably.
The Blue Line is actually the least dangerous of the four subway lines in Boston, as it has suffered the least amount of high profile incidents. However, the line's tracks east of Airport station have been deteriorating due to saltwater corrosion because of the line's close proximity to the coast, and the risk of saltwater corrosion has caused the line's trains to be replaced at a faster rate than the other three lines.
Blue line also lacks a red line connection. All other lines have a way to intersect with one another
It was a big mistake not to build the recently retired Blue and Orange line trains with stainless steel bodies. This has been corrected in the new fleets.
@@jameswilliams4044It lacks a DIRECT Red Line connection, but the link can still be made by not getting off the subway @ Govt. Ctr., Blue to Green, Green to Red.
Thanks!
He showed Chicago CTA stock footage quite a few times here but didn't mention Chicago by name. The Chicago CTA, and several other American light rail systems would DRASTICALLY benefit from ring networks. Adding 2 or 3 meaningful ring networks would redefine those light rail systems and their utility, and increase rider consideration significantly. More train lines, more robust systems that allow for more travel opportunity using that system = more loyal riders.
Chicagoan here, still praying one day CTA listens to the call for a Gray Line connecting all the other lines. 🙏 Given how long it took them to secure funding for the Red Line extension though, I won't be holding my breath. 😅
@@lmnop29 I was thinking about black silver and white
We have one in San Diego for the Green and Orange lines converging in Grossmont (east county suburbs) and didn't realize its benefits for a few months. It's nice to have easy transfers to visit other nearby suburbs
I mostly disagree with the ring idea in Chicago. The obvious missing feature in Chicago is seamless travel from one side of the city to the other. The commuter rail lines do not link with each other or with transit properly, there's no direct bus route up Lake Shore Drive between south side and north side, and there's only one true through rail route -- the Red Line. Link these up and establish three or four through routes, and then we can worry about circle routes, but I honestly think the only circle route that would really do well is something along the lines of the dormant Mid-City Transitway plan, going up the west side linking the two airports with the transit hub at Jefferson Park, and continuing southeast of Midway to link up with Metra RI and Metra Electric around about 75th street or so.
@@danielbliss1988 Why not both? :) But yeah it's absolutely a disservice that the Red Line is (basically) the only non-convoluted option for traversing the city north-south. Screw anyone who doesn't live on the eastern sides I guess.
Not to mention that the MBTA Commuter Rail is really Keolis operated which has a European influence to rail. With that said, CR has issues with shared freight rail lines which cause delays along with aging engines prone to failure. Been on multiple CR failure involving engine fire, derailment or electrical failure. Oddly enough fall causes the most delay vs winter as leaves prove more slippery than winter weather!
It is not Keolis owned, it is Keolis operated. The difference is that the service standards, vehicles, and infrastructure are generally MBTA state owned (and actually owned by Amtrak and freight railways in places).
@@jacktattersall9457 edited post for correctness.
@@jacktattersall9457 I do believe Keolis does maintain and leases locomotives for the operations. I think they maintain the GP40s and lease a GP38 (GP38-2 2635). MassDOT also lets MBTA utilize their locomotives as well.
Ah yes, Keolis, the amazing French transit operator that does an amazing job in Boston, and only in Boston (in the United States).
@@smileyeagle1021 Keolis also operates Virginia Railway Express in Virginia and the ION Light Rail for Grand River Transit in Kitchener - Waterloo (Ontario, Canada). They tried to win the contract for Maryland's MARC commuter rail but lost because of a state law that penalized required extraordinary historical research on the Holocaust and Vichy France because of their majority ownership by SNCF, which was under Vichy France (Nazi) control during the holocaust. And by the way, SNCF tried to satisfy it, translating a massive 1990s history of both SNCF's involvement in Nazi atrocities and resistance activities by SNCF personnel against the Nazi regime that got them killed.
I wish you would have talked more about how the big car companies bought out the railroads and let them decay. That would have tied into this well.
To be honest even the commuter rail is underinvested in. It's incredible that we still haven't built the north-south connector; it would go a long way to making the commuter rail viable for a lot more types of commutes
This problem is not just on subways but also with the buses. In Charlotte, NC, If you want to transit between suburbs , you would have to take a 45 min bus to downtown and another 45min bus from downtown to that other suburb. Travelling by car would hardly take 10-15 mins on the I-485.
Well that’s if the bus even goes to the suburb in the first place.
When I’m going from suburb to suburb it’s usually on 485.
Suburbs are designed to keep out public transit.
@@Praisethesunson And they're designed to compel everyone to drive. Those who can't are left high and dry.
I love going from worcester to boston all the time it works so well for me
Videos like this make me appreciate Moscow subway with its ultimate reliability and efficiency
That's what Russian tech is known for lol
Moscow has the best service on earth
MA resident here. Great video. My daughter was at college 40 miles away. I could drive to school, pick her up and drive back home faster than she could take the Commuter Rail and subway. That would have taken her over two hours and cost between $15-$20.
Standard mileage reimbursement rates are 65 cents a mile, so your car trip was more like 3x the price. Taking the car also resulted in more cumulative travel time for the both of you and was worse for the environment.
@@notstarboard9792 We got time to visit, so that's a plus and she got door to door. I still would have had to drive to the train station to pick her up. She would have had to take a bus, a train, a subway, and another train.
@@dave900575 Not saying there aren't benefits to making the trip yourself. I just feel compelled to push back when people point to transit as the more expensive option.
Fair enough, but if the trip is going to take longer and be inconvenient I'm looking to save money. If it's going to cost the same I'll drive.
I wish we had more and reliable public transportation. I used to take the train into Boston years ago. That was a hassle because I never knew when I was leaving the office. Then drive part way and took the bus the rest of the way. Between late and or busses that never showed I gave up and drove.
Seeing black and white photos from the 70s and 80s of subway cars I ride every day is surreal, and goes a long way towards explaining "how" things got so bad haha.
Growing up in the 90s, the T was always reliable transport. I frequented the Park St/ Govt. Station area. They were in good shape, some paint work needed but good shape. 25yrs later, during a recent visit to this area. I find cracks, water leaks, missing chunks of concrete.
There should be a video on why this happened? Why was the maintenance deferred? Or why governor Deval Patrick used it to pay for the Big Dig?
Charlie Baker ran administration and finance under Governor Weld and he dumped a ton of Big Dig debt onto the T so Governor Patrick had no choice.
There were some bad winters in the ‘00s and teens, major snow dumps, refreezing and melting that have stressed a lot of the concrete and begun to expose rebar.
Thank you so much for this video! I’m a MBTA red line rider and it frustrates me that people think there’s a lack of demand for the T. People don’t ride because the service sucks. I routinely wait 15-20 mins for a train at rush hour. Better, more reliable service induces demand. We’re in such a deep hole now I don’t know how or if we can get out though.
I feel like a big part of the problem is that most elected officials in most Canadian/American cities don't use public transit themselves because they are usually on the wealthier side (and there's sooo many reasons for wealth to be tied to participation in politics). As a result, they have no personal interest in seeing transit be improved and they tend to be the type who don't want to invest until usage magically increases. Yet, they are far more willing to invest in car infrastructure (and they usually own cars).
Same thing with housing. Because they're disproportionately well off and own housing, elected officials tend to be NIMBYs who have no interest in improving housing availability. It outright benefits them for housing to be expensive.